Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has declared the rollout of the Emergency, Chronic and Critical Illness Fund (ECCF) the final piece of Kenya's ongoing health financing reforms, saying the country has now operationalised all four health funds created under the Social Health Insurance Act.
Speaking during the launch of the national emergency medical services system on Wednesday , Duale said the government had moved beyond legislation and was now delivering practical healthcare services that guarantee emergency treatment for all Kenyans.
"Today the Primary Healthcare Fund is up and running. The Social Health Insurance Fund is up and running. The PMSF Fund is up and running, and today the ECCF is up and running," Duale said.
The Health CS said the new emergency system would be especially important for people living in remote counties where accessing healthcare can take several hours due to poor road networks and long distances.
"I come from Garissa. A family may be three or four hours from a hospital on a good day, but not on a rainy day. Distance itself sometimes becomes a disease," he said.
Duale noted that while Parliament had enacted key health laws over the years, translating them into services that directly benefit citizens required sustained political commitment and investment.
"A law can be assented to in one morning, but turning it into something an ordinary citizen can actually benefit from sometimes takes many years," he said.
He said the reforms introduced over the past four years were already yielding results, pointing to the Social Health Authority's 32.2 million registered members and increased access to specialised medical services across counties, including CT scans, mammography, theatres and laboratory services.
The CS also said improvements had been recorded in the supply of medical commodities, with counties now receiving most of the essential health products they request.
On healthcare workers, Duale said disputes involving doctors and nurses had largely been resolved after settlement of collective bargaining agreements and internship issues. He added that the recruitment of 5,000 nurses and midwives was expected to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare.
Duale further disclosed that preliminary findings from a joint review with the Council of Governors indicate Kenya's maternal mortality rate may have dropped below 200 deaths per 100,000 live births, although updated national data is yet to be released.
He said the emergency dispatch centre, the Social Health Authority, the Digital Health Agency and county governments were fully prepared to roll out the emergency response system nationwide.
"The number is working. What remains is for you to hand it over today to the people of Kenya," Duale told President William Ruto, saying the launch would ensure constitutional guarantees on emergency treatment are finally realised.