Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has appealed to President Kenyatta to issue a directive barring himself and other high-ranking government officials from seeking medical treatment abroad.
Karua, in an open letter addressed to Uhuru, said this will go a long way in improving the country’s ailing public health system.
She cited the United Kingdom, where Prime Minister Boris Johnson was recently admitted to a public hospital in London after he was diagnosed with Covid-19.
“In Kenya, Mr. president you can make an example worth emulating by your peers by issuing a directive barring yourself, members of your government, and all appointed high ranking civil servants from seeking treatment abroad,” said Karua in the letter.
“I bet you that such a directive will give the necessary incentive to all concerned to work on our health system to make it worthy of all citizens,” she added.
She further urged Kenyatta to take more active measures in combating the spread of Covid-19 disease that has so far infected 281 people in Kenya and killed 14.
Karua, a lawyer, said all the 47 counties should have the human resources and capacity to test for the bug.
Here is Karua’s full letter to President Kenyatta:
Dear Mr President,
Accept my greetings and best wishes to you and the nation as we navigate through the COVID 19 crisis.
I commend you and your government, particularly the ministry of health for the handling of the crises so far.
Your increased measures for cushioning the vulnerable are commendable and we encourage continued vigilance on this score to ensure that no Kenyan is left behind.
I am aware that Universal Health Care is one of your Big Four Agendas. It relates directly not only to the everyday welfare of each one of us but also, on all fours to the COVID 19 pandemic. It is my humble view sir that you can turn the fight against this pandemic, into an opportunity to implement Universal Health Care.
As a measure of preparedness, your government has been asking counties to look up their state of preparedness. Admittedly a majority of the counties are ill-prepared to respond to the COVID pandemic or any other major outbreak of infectious disease. Very few of the counties have intensive care units (ICU) facilities or the necessary diagnostic and treatment equipment for major ailments. This translates to multiple referrals daily to the two National hospitals which overburden these facilities and create backlogs that end up hurting the needy patients.
It is against this background that I urge you Mr President to take this opportunity to ensure that each of our forty seven county hospitals are refurbished and equipped as necessary to diagonize and treat most if not all diseases. If need be some of the diagnostic and treatment equipment can be shared by a cluster of counties based on proximity. It is also an opportune moment to ensure that our county hospitals have the necessary human resources. All counties can do with additional human recourses, a fact your government is well aware of, and has already authorized the urgent hiring of health professionals in response to the COVID pandemic. The two or so counties that previously fired enmass their health workers, are without a doubt in dire straits in terms of human resources. It is time for the national government to once and for or come up with a model that will create uniformity of standards and protect both the Health professionals, and indeed all health workers from arbitrary decisions of individuals in power ,while also protecting the citizens who are the ultimate consumers of health services.
Universal Health Care is not in my view possible without dedicated health professionals. It is therefore of critical importance that terms of service of the health professionals be looked at critically and improved. Perhaps it is also time to consider whether all government health professionals should be required to be in full time service of the government instead of the current situation where a majority have divided attention by serving the government and the same time operating private practice on the side. This unhealthy situation breeds conflict of interest thus undermining service delivery in public health facilities.
It is a good time to overhaul and reinvent the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) and make them responsive to the health needs of Kenyans and to the Universal Health Care. Further, it is time to integrate public hospitals through ICT to enable real time consultation of medical personnel within the county, across the counties, and between the counties and the National referral hospitals. This will no doubt ease the burden of travel by patients on referrals.
Rolling out Universal health care has heavy financial implications, but failing to improve our health system and to ensure access to quality health services to all, as provided for by our constitution will in the long run be more costly to us as a country. We are at this very moment is spending colossal sums to hurriedly boost our capacity to fight the corona pandemic. Many Kenyans of all walks of life have been spending colossal sums which many a time render families destitute, to fly out loved ones to other countries like India, South Africa and other foreign nations for specialized treatment. The majority of Kenyans languish without adequate access to health services when in need, which leads to unnecessary loss of life.
The corona pandemic has equalized us all. None of us irrespective of social standing can fly out to be treated elsewhere should COVID 19 strike. We all must rely on our health system. It therefore makes sense for us to take the overdue necessary steps to ensure that our Public Health Service is capable of providing quality health services for all . It was great to see the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson get treated at his country’s National Heath service facility. That ought to be the way forward for us especially those in leadership.
I firmly believe that post the COVID pandemic there ought to be an agreement among world leaders that no serving member of government including heads of government should be welcomed to look for medical services outside the country they serve!
In Kenya, Mr president you can make an example worth emulating by your peers by issuing a directive barring yourself, members of your government , and all appointed high ranking civil servants from seeking treatment abroad. I bet you that such a directive will give the necessary incentive to all concerned to work on our health system to make it worthy of all citizens.
Yours sincerely,
Martha Karua.
National chair Narc Kenya.
Martha, they cannot go…
Martha, they cannot go abroad for treatment. They will be quarantined first and even worse, there are no flights. In all seriousness, I think first we need to fight and break the medical cartels in Kenya. Today, medical services are not affordable to the common man.
I second you Martha! No…
I second you Martha! No flying out for medical … time to eat from the same plate with those you look down on..
Aibu yetu imeanikwa mchana….and the misleaders burying their heads in the sand…. Mpigs busy-bodies without any public service to show. SHAME ON YOU ‘MIS-LEADERS!
Career politicians – Raila, Mudavadi, Kalonzo…and the like…should hang up their boots now…even corona says so…60+ >>nyumbani
While we are at it lets get…
While we are at it lets get rid of private schools, rich and poor attend Kiandutu Primary School
Talk about a random example,…
Talk about a random example, as in Kiandutu slums? I attended City Council schools throughout my early education then onto a government high school. I might be dating myself but during those years, those schools were considered better and the way to go for all, rich and poor. I drove by my primary school recently and was shocked at its deplorable condition and it was bursting in the seams with an avalanche of students. Very depressing.
Kudos Martha Karua! I have…
Kudos Martha Karua! I have been waiting to see a dialogue on this issue for a long time. It’s a big Shame that Kenyan Politicians despise their own doctor’s back in Kenya. Instead, they do to UK, India and USA to seek treatment. First,our Kenyan Doctors have whatever it takes. They can do it! And actually some can give you a better treatment than those that are trusted abroad. Second, just because these politicians have money (stolen from Wananchi), it doesn’t mean you can’t get treatment back home.
Kenyan Leaders: Fix your own country and show the world that you are not a “shit hole” country as it was referred one time! If you are not so greedy to feed your own stomach and only your own stomach, we can see great improvement in the country.
A First good step in fixing…
A First good step in fixing our healthcare system in Kenya. If coronavirus can make those politicians and civil servants to seek treatment in Kenya during the coronavirus, the same can be enforced by passing a law to make sure all Kenyans are getting the best possible healthcare treatment at home; inside Kenya ta! No one, especially the elected politics should be running to India, Madagascar, Morocco, and boom fu$k Egypt for treatment while leaving the ordinary Kenyans without any medicine at home. While I hate the ravage the coronavirus have done, I appreciate it for creating a playing ground where every Kenyan is equal! Maybe coronavirus itself should be a representative (CoronaSenator, CoronoMP, CoronaGovernor, etc appointed by the coronavirus) of ordinary Kenyans in the Sanate, the Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive branches.
The problem of politicians…
The problem of politicians running abroad every time they sneeze ? originated from the colonial mentality which make them believe anything foreign is better than anything locally brewed – and Im not talking about that Chagaa, etc every body like to consume like mad! Now the coronavirus have made every body understand that many good services can be provided at home! That should be enforced and every body, mostly all the politicians, forced to abide by the new rules.
Good point Mama attorney…
Good point Mama attorney Karua. The leaders should build a health infrastructure that meets the best standards of the countries they travel to. You should have added that government money should never be used to pay for treatment abroad. They rush abroad because we pay their bills after they have abandoned us in every way. It’s like when one goes to parliament or is elected to a big post, they become more special than the rest of us. Thanks to Corona virus for equalizing us. I hope the country and our leaders have learned a lesson. Over to you Presso Uhuru.
The only “Man”in politics…
The only “Man”in politics have spoken.Karua here i greatly support yoo n if uhuru is the true president he should sign it immediately.Only our foolish stupid idiots mpigs/politicians get treated abroad??Have u seen obama or any other foreign politicians leaving their country to b treated??Only ***** holes from Africa the stupid black man who worship anything white from pope,jesus of nazareth,mary mother the catholics necklaces???Miss Karua please push for it.
Karua may be having a point…
Karua may be having a point but the issue of billionaires going abroad for treatments is a non issue owing to the fact that the ordinary MWANANCHI cannot afford Nairobi and Aghakan Hospitals like the likes of Karua herself. Does it bother ourselves and the so called leaders that there are Kenyans who feed from trash and sleep in the open? And we baptize them street families. Poor individuals are trying to care for orphans and the Government has no place for orphans or the unemployed.
Let Uhuru and other billionaires go for treatments abroad but give food and housing to all Kenyans. We need to Eradicate social classes that were introduced by British in Kenya and they don’t practice it in Britain. Let us give the European farms that are hitting the 99 year lease to the poor Kenyans who need land to cultivate. I hear Uhuru grabbed the Lord Dalamere Thousands of acres to add to the Thousands of acres Mzee Kenyatta “bought”.