Nairobi Governor Sakaja receives report from Health Reforms Taskforce

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has vowed to implement all recommendations made by the Nairobi City County Health Reforms Taskforce which he formed on September 14, 2022, to conduct a full review of Nairobi County's healthcare systems and propose reforms on the same.

Sakaja made the pledge when he received the report from the 8-member committee led by AMREF CEO Dr. Githinji Gitahi in Nairobi on Thursday.

The task force comprised of health professionals, health executives and consumer advocates with extensive knowledge of the Kenyan health system as well as wide international experience. 

The task force's recommendations touched on key areas of Nairobi's health sector including strengthening primary health care through better health financing, modernizing County Health policy and merging it with the National Health Policy, reorganising health service delivery, institutionalizing modern accountability instruments and customer service focus throughout Nairobi County's health facilities and improving monitoring and evaluation.

The team urged the Nairobi County administration to improve "health" communication, inside and outside of Nairobi County, pay due attention to health data management together with the necessary adoption of a modern comprehensive health information system, and give due attention to the proper clinical training (internship) of newly qualified doctors and the training of other health staff.

"I am satisfied that the task force has expedited the tasks as spelled out in their terms of reference. They examined and considered all the issues raised through a combination of approaches, desk reviews of important policy documents, discussions with the County staff and relevant stakeholders and gathering and collation of vital information, which was useful in analysing the situation in the County Health Sector," said Sakaja.

"It has been an honour undertaking the journey with all the taskforce members and it is my hope that the recommendations will offer useful insights which will ensure our health service provision is transformed."

The report in particular identified Nairobi County's persistent inability to attract and retain health workers as one of the major challenges facing the devolved unit's public health sector.

According to the task force, there is a high staff turnover in the County's health sector owing largely to poor working conditions, lack of promotion prospects, salary delays, and health practitioners leaving Kenya for pastures green abroad.

Other challenges facing the Nairobi County human resources for health include severe shortages of essential cadres; skill-mix imbalances; poor working environment which comprises quality healthcare services; frequent strikes by health workers in the County, chronic delays in payment of salaries and remittance of statutory deductions among others.