Legislators have backed a proposal for a policy to compel public officers to use public healthcare facilities.  

On Wednesday, members of the National Assembly supported for the Motion albeit with a caveat that funding is increased and services improved.

The proposal notes that since civil servants, public officers and State officers are accorded a comprehensive medical cover, they should use public hospitals, which would in turn ensure there was sufficient funding and increased quality of health care.

This would accelerate the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, which is currently being implemented through the Social Health Insurance Fund.

“Appreciating that the use of the comprehensive medical cover by public officers and State officers in public hospitals would guarantee sufficient funding for public hospitals, this House therefore resolves that, the government through the Ministry of Health implements the Kenya Universal Healthcare Coverage Policy 2020-2030 and introduce a policy on mandatory use of public health care facilities by all civil servants, public officers and State officers in the country,” reads the Motion by Nominated MP Sabina Chege.

But Health Committee Chairperson James Nyikal said there was no need for a legislation, challenging legislators to practice what they preach.

“If we really meant it, we’d just say from now on, we are going to use public services as bad as they are. Do we need a law or even a Motion? We start by looking at ourselves,” said Seme MP.

He also dismissed claims that the new health scheme was working.

“Right now we are focusing so much on financing healthcare and therefore, we’ve brought the issue of SHA (Social health Authority) to replace NHIF. I can tell you over the weekend I was in my constituency and I was talking to boda boda people and they all told me that NHIF was better than SHA,” he said.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro pointed the finger at the national government for inadequate funding of healthcare services. 

“There are issues that continue to handicap delivery of quality healthcare to our country, one being access and quality. The other thing that’s critical for us to continue talking about is that when we appropriate money, we are actually showing signs of the kind of services we want delivered in the country,” he said.

“Healthcare is a fully devolved function, but when you look at the appropriation of money that we give to our counties vis-a-vis the money that remains in the national government, that leaves a lot to be desired.”

Kipkelion West MP Hillary Kiplang’at, while reminiscing on the lost glory of the public institutions, advocated for their upgrade before the proposed policy was implemented.

“There was a time in this country when public facilities were better than private facilities. But in the early 90s, there started a colossal contest by the private sector to fight the public sector, and they started with our hospitals, our schools and our universities…” 

Chege clarified that her aim was not to bar public officers from accessing treatment in private hospitals but to ensure that they gave priority to public facilities.

“We want to ensure that, given all public servants, state officers and civil servants have been issued with an insurance card catered for by public funds, then their first point of contact while seeking treatment is in public hospitals,” she said.

Debate on the matter is set to continue after the time allotted yesterday lapsed before the question on whether to adopt the Motion was put to the members.