Kitui Governor Dr. Julius Malombe (EGH) today inaugurated a three-day sensitization workshop focused on the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Acts of 2023 in Mutomo, Kitui South Sub-County.
The workshop, organized by the Council of Governors (CoG) in collaboration with the Kitui County Health Ministry and various stakeholders, aims to update County Executive officials on the current status of UHC implementation across the country. The key legislative frameworks under discussion include the Facility Improvement Financing (FIF) Act 2023, Primary Health Care Act 2023, Social Health Act 2023, and Digital Health Act 2023.
In his opening remarks, Governor Malombe emphasized the importance of the workshop as a crucial step toward achieving accessible, equitable, high-quality, and affordable healthcare for all Kitui residents. He noted that the UHC Acts of 2023 have been carefully crafted to ensure that the fundamental right to healthcare becomes a reality for everyone in the county.
“These Acts serve as the foundation of a more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable healthcare system,” Governor Malombe stated.
The Governor highlighted that his administration has prioritized health as a central pillar of its development agenda, with a focus on promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative healthcare services for the people of Kitui.
“In my Transformative Agenda, ‘The Kitui Promise,’ the county government is committed to improving access to quality and affordable healthcare services,” he affirmed.
Governor Malombe outlined a series of strategic initiatives his administration has undertaken to advance UHC in Kitui, tailored to the county’s unique needs and challenges. These initiatives include:
– **Reinstating, training, and commissioning 2,470 Community Health Promoters (CHPs)** to deliver promotive and preventive healthcare services across the county.
– **Establishing the Phangisile Mtshali Cancer Centre** at the Kitui County Referral Hospital (KCRH), bringing specialized cancer care closer to the residents.
– **Completing and renovating stalled maternity units** in health facilities such as Kyuso and Ikanga Sub-County Hospitals, and Nguni and Malalani Health Centres.
– **Establishing three Newborn Units (NBUs)** at Ikanga, Ikutha, and Tseikuru Sub-County Hospitals, increasing the total number of NBUs to seven.
– **Operationalizing the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Unit at Mutomo Sub-County Hospital**, serving 12,549 people, and constructing two new wards (female and male) at Yatta Health Centre.
– **Reinstating CT scan services** at the Kitui County Referral Hospital.
– **Installing and commissioning an Oxygen Plant** at Mwingi Level IV Hospital in partnership with USAID, and oxygen piping in all essential sections of KCRH.
– **Operationalizing an ICU with two beds** and a High Dependency Unit (HDU) with one bed at KCRH.
– **Regular restocking of pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals** to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services in county hospitals.
– **Repairing and operationalizing eight ambulances and two utility vehicles** to enhance emergency response and save lives.
The workshop is facilitated by a team of experts from the CoG, led by Dr. Mutakha Kangu, an expert in devolution and intergovernmental relations.
Key attendees include Deputy Governor Augustine Kanani, members of the County Assembly’s Health Committee led by Chairperson Hon. Bernard Munyasya (Mwingi Central Ward), County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), Chief Officers, and the Governor’s Advisors, among others.
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