The Ministry of Health will next month set up 20 special clinics in urban informal settlements within Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa Counties to strengthen health system emergency preparedness.

 

The special clinics are part of the slum upgrading programme by the National Government expected to benefit more than 1.7 million Kenyans in the three counties.

 

The facilities which consists a fully equipped 40 feet container, with two consultation rooms, a laboratory, a pharmacy and a tent as a waiting area will be managed by the National Government for a period of two years before being handed over to respective County governments.

 

The revelations were made by the Principal Secretary for Health, Dr. Nicholas Muraguri during a multi-stakeholder joint appraisal meeting to review the implementation progress and performance of GAVI’s vaccine, cash grant support and its contribution to improved immunisation outcomes.

 

The PS said that the aim of the project is to complement the County governments’ and improve access to health services by segments of population at risk.

 

Due to the limited public space the PS noted that the special clinics will be set up within the radius of churches, mosques, chiefs’ camps and schools, and those next to police stations are expected to operate for 24 hours.

 

Nairobi County will get 20 clinics, to serve a population of 1.46 million Kenyans, in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Mukuru Kwa Rueben, Mukuru Kayaba, Waithaka/Kabiria, Ruthimitu, N’gundu, Ciikoo, Congo Soweto, Njathani, Githurai 44, Kangemi, Kwa Njoroge, Githogoro, Mathare Kosovo, Mathare Mabatini, Baba dogo, Kariobangi, Dandora, Jua kali and Kiambiu slums. Available data shows that the government own 30 percent of health facilities within Nairobi County.

 

‘’Since every slum in Nairobi has two clinics, we will work to ensure that the clinics are open after hours and during weekends, to give optimum service,’’ the PS stressed.

 

Kisumu County is expected to 13 special clinics to serve a population of 128,923 in Nyalenda A, Nyalenda B, Nyawita, Obunga, Bandani, Manyatta A and B informal settlements, while Mombasa County will receive 17 special clinics to serve a population of 148,148 in Muoroto, Mburukenge, KipevuMbuyuni, Bangladesh, Owino-Uhuru, Timbwani, Bengala, Kajiweni, Mbungoni, Kwabulo, Bombolulu and Ngomeni informal settlements.

 

“We want to step up infrastructure, human resource and drug supply in order to optimise these small clinics so that our people can benefit. We will therefore give Counties a two-year grace period for them to budget and absorb them,” said the PS.

 

The World Health Organization Representative, Dr. Nathan Bakyaita lauded the government’s initiative to reach the low-income segments of the population.

 

“The informal settlements will not grow smaller; they are likely to grow bigger and we cannot ignore them,” he said.

 

The forum was attended by GAVI, UNICEF, CDC, World Bank, HENNET, USAID and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. The private health facilities were called upon to share data that would inform national policies.

 

Source : www.health.go.ke