Remarks · 24 April 2023
APRIL 24th 2023
Distinguished Guests,
I believe all of us here have been brought together by this important event primarily because of our commitment to provide healthcare services that will enable the people of Kenya enjoy the highest attainable standard of health.
This constitutional mandate challenges us to find ways of developing an accessible, affordable and effective national healthcare system that delivers the best preventive as well as curative services.
As government, we have made a commitment to the people of Kenya that we shall harness the post-pandemic recovery momentum to make significant progress in reversing and minimising the burden of noncommunicable diseases, especially cancers, heart diseases and diabetesrelated complications.
Additionally, we are acutely aware of the drastic socioeconomic impact of these diseases. Many Kenyan households live under the threat of having all their savings wiped out by illness and 36% of our people risk falling into poverty on account of catastrophic financial expenditure.
Our commitments under the universal healthcare pillar of the Bottom Up Economic Transformation Agenda consist of well-considered interventions to ensure that we fulfil our obligation to deliver the best possible level of medical treatment and healthcare services affordably, efficiently and inclusively.
To succeed in this commitment, we are deeply conscious of the fact that health is a devolved function, requiring us to employ consultative and collaborative mechanisms of inter-governmental cooperation and partnership with due regard to the evolving role of donors and other stakeholders.
Access and quality are the most salient concerns in considering the ways and means of delivering excellent healthcare to Kenyans. For this reason, it is extremely important for us to sustain the momentum in which we have expanded the infrastructure to house various categories of health facilities and equipped them with the machinery and technologies required. It is also important to accompany this development programme with interventions to drastically bring down the cost of treatment to a level where it is no longer a barrier to access for the majority of our people.
The cardinal planks of the government’s commitment, therefore, include the reform of the National Health Insurance Fund to become a social health insurance scheme that can deliver universal health coverage and expand its operational capacity.
Further, we are committed to integrating preventive and promotive healthcare into the universal healthcare coverage. Beyond this, it is our intention to build a transparent and efficient supply chain management system, integrated with ICT in medical services, to promote tele-medicine and establish health management information systems.
This event is therefore a true milestone in out national healthcare journey because we are here to launch a centre which represents the convergence of high standards of treatment, state-of-the-art technology, affordability and effectiveness in cancer treatment.
At this centre, which is equipped with a broad variety of sophisticated diagnostic imaging technologies, Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital will deploy an advanced robotic radiation treatment machine known as the CyberKnife, which introduces revolutionary capabilities and enhanced efficacy in cancer treatment by locating, tracking and accessing tumours, that are ordinarily difficult to reach, with precision.
The technology is therefore able to administer more radiation with great precision, meaning that fewer sessions (4 to 5 only instead of 20 to 30) are required, with each session lasting only about 5 minutes. This will significantly improve treatment outcomes.
Cumulatively, these advantages lead to shorter recovery period, minimal side effects and better overall outcomes. The government intends to sustain its investments and support for highly advanced diagnostic and treatment equipment to actualise the highest standard of treatment and care for all people.
The CyberKnife technology at this hospital is the second in our continent, the only other one being in Egypt. This propels Kenya to the frontiers of advanced medical technologies and catalyses our strategy to quickly emerge as an advanced regional and international medical hub. Its location in a public hospital sends a strong signal to all Kenyans that it is no longer necessary to travel far away for advanced treatments that are now available, accessible and affordable. Kenyans who are already covered under NHIF can receive radiation therapy without paying any top ups.
Medical professionals trained in Kenya remain globally acclaimed. Our medical facilities, including infrastructure, equipment and technologies are undergoing a drastic transformation on account of immense public, private and not-for-profit investment. The case for travelling out of the country for medical attention is weakening by the day, while that for receiving treatment locally is now compelling.
The hospital’s diagnostic imaging facilities have processed more than 6,000 patients since they came into operation. This has saved Kenyan families more than KSh10 billion. To maximise the clear possibilities presented by this facility, we shall collaborate with county governments and mobilise necessary investments to modernise health facilities in each of our 47 counties. We shall also invest in dependable technological linkages and establish health information management systems.
To further enhance access and affordability of healthcare, the government is committed to promoting investment in local manufacturing of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical medical supplies. Our domestic market for pharmaceuticals and medical consumables is a whopping KSh110 billion, of which less than 20 per cent is locally manufactured. There is an immense opportunity for investment in manufacturing and the government is going to take all necessary measures to guarantee a business environment to make Kenya the region’s pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.
After seeing what Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital has achieved in establishing a modern centre to provide advanced diagnosis and treatment, I am persuaded that it deserves support to complete the stalled Children Hospital and Paediatric Cancer Wing and to construct a Women Hospital with a Breast Cancer Centre. We are keen to develop a network of specialised public referral institutions providing advanced care that is driven by scientific research and technological innovation.
To strengthen our partnerships with key global institutions for the benefit of the people of Kenya, I am delighted by the decision to make available 30 acres of unutilised land to the World Health Organisation for the development of a regional health emergency hub and training centre for Africa.
I note that this provision leaves adequate land available for the future expansion of the university and this hospital. The MoU signed today provides a framework under which Kenya and the WHO shall collaborate in health, training and rescue efforts during disasters and other emergencies. Other benefits expected to accrue from this collaboration will include employment opportunities as well as capacity building and technology transfer.
I congratulate Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral Hospital for this historic milestone, which is also a wonderful medical and technological investment. It is a bold statement of intent, which emphasises Kenya’s resolve to become a regionally and internationally competitive healthcare investment, medical services and pharmaceutical manufacturing hub. Well done.
I declare the Kenyatta University Teaching, Research and Referral and Hospital’s CyberKnife Centre officially commissioned. God bless you. God bless Kenya.