NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 7 – The government has allocated Sh146.8 billion to cater for health care services in the 2022/2023 budget.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani says the allocation will go a long way in improving the health care services in the country.
“Better health care outcomes depend on the availability, accessibility and capacity of health care workers to deliver quality services anchored on well equipped and provision health care facilities,” he said.
Health Care is one of the big four agenda of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration.
Yattani noted that the government is committed “towards achieving the goal of achieving 100 percent health insurance coverage”.
“Key among these initiatives include the free maternity program dubbed linda mama which currently benefits over 1 million mothers annually increasing the total number of health workers in the public and private sector investment in the health infrastructure and development of a digital health platform support effective monitoring of the health sector,” he said.
Of the Sh146. 8 billion for health, Sh62.3 billion will find activities and programs for attainment to Universal coverage.
Sh7 billion has been allocated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and related expenditure with Sh4.1 billion allocated for free maternity health care.
Sh5.2 billion will go towards the Managed Equipment Services while Sh1.8 billion will cater for the medical cover for the elderly and severely disabled persons in society.
To lower cases of HIV AIDS, Malaria and tuberculosis in the country Sh16.2 billion has been allocated with Sh5.2 billion set aside to enhance vaccines and immunization program.
Various hospitals across the country have also been allocated funds with the Kenyatta National Hospital being the biggest beneficiary after being allocated Sh18.1 billion.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has been allocated Sh11.7 billion followed by the Kenya Medical Training Center given Sh7.7 billion.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute has been allocated Sh2.9 billion.
Sh1.1 billion for the Kenya National Hospital and Pediatric Center with Sh1.2 billion allocated for procurement of family planning and reproductive health care commodities.
Sh300 million has been allocated to cyberknife therapy equipment with Sh1.3 billion allocated to for the construction of Cancer Center at Kisi level 5 hospital and finally, Sh619 million has been allocated for the procurement of equipment at the national blood transfusion services.
