National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]
The reform journey initiated by the Kenya Kwanza administration has begun addressing corruption and access to quality care, the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has said.
Speaking at the Health Summit held at KICC, Wetangula said the reforms were responding to the experiences of desperate families who are often forced to raise money at night to meet hospital bills, negotiate the release of patients or stand at hospital gates seeking help to pay for treatment.
He said Parliament understood the need for reforms and had played a key role in creating the legal framework to transform healthcare financing and delivery.
According to the Speaker, the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health had recommended on June 8, 2022, that the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) mechanism be established.
He said the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), which was established in 1966, had been overtaken by changes in the economy and the evolving social needs of Kenyans.
“When the reforms came, they found a ready legislative framework. Parliament had made attempts to achieve what had been stalled,” said the speaker.
He said Parliament passed four key health laws in 2023, describing them as a major turning point for the health sector.