Kenya Healthcare Federation(KHF), Health Sector Board of Kenya Private Sector Alliance(KEPSA) held it’s 11th Annual General Meeting(AGM), on 27th June 2019 at Villa Rosa Kempinsky hotel in Nairobi. The meeting brought together health sector partners including: Ministry of Health(MOH), Christian Health Association of Kenya(CHAK), Health NGOs Network(HENNET), Council of Governors(COG) Parliamentary Health Committee. The meeting was sponsored by Mariestopes Kenya and Amref Health Africa. As the federation marked the end of the 10th AGM, Dr. Amit N. Thakker, chairman, Kenya Healthcare Federation together with other private health sector leaders including: Dr .Samuel Mwenda, secretary general, Christian Health Association of Kenya(CHAK),Dr. Cosmas Mugambi, Ministry of Health(MoH), Ms. Alie Eleved, chair, Health NGOs Network(HENNET), Ms. Racheal Muthoga, deputy Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Private Sector Alliance(KEPSA), Mr. Meshack Ndolo, Council of Governors(COG) Dr. Hon. Mishra, Swarup Ranjan, Parliamentary Health Committee, unveiled ‘THE DYNAMIC’ a KHF Souvenir Magazine that marks the successes and milestones achieved over the years.
In her remarks, Ms. Rachel Muthoga the Deputy CEO KEPSA commended, the vibrancy of KHF and referred KHF as a trendsetter among other sector boards affiliated to KEPSA. She invoked the KHF members in attendance to be business oriented such that for every challenge in the health space, they work on solutions with efficient business models. She emphasised that affordability promotes access and uptake of services which makes these crucial areas to look into with advocacy support from KHF and KEPSA which she is willing to work on with KHF.
In his opening remarks Dr. Amit N. Thakker, chairman, Kenya Healthcare Federation, thanked all the partners and members for the collaborative efforts and fruitful partnerships that has seen the federation’s growth especially in advocacy and regional integration. Over the past decade, the federation has partnered with the ministry of Health in strong advocacy especially through Presidential Round Table, Ministerial Stakeholder Forum, Devolution Conference, Kenya Health Forum and in 2018, the federation, initiated county Stakeholder forum(CSFs) in five counties including: Isiolo, Makueni, Kisumu, Kirinyaga and Mombasa through CSFs the counties have been able to successfully establish better financing models that will ensure affordability of healthcare.
The chairman reiterated that the federation has marked a growth in membership by 40% in the past one year. KHF has also created partnerships with regional platforms including: East Africa Business Council, East Africa Community, East Africa Health Platform, East Africa Healthcare Federation and Africa Healthcare Federation. The federation looks forward to grow in advocacy especially offering it’s expertise towards advocating for affordable healthcare for all. On his final remarks, Dr.Thakker challenged the private sector to strategize on how to fill up the identified gaps in the health sector while delivering affordable healthcare for all. Some of the suggested solutions includes:Roll out of innovative affordable private health insurance options to more uninsured Kenyans,Investment into specialized treatment facilities, through public private partnerships( PPPs),Input towards an overarching regulatory framework that will promote financing in both private and public sectors,expand health cover to ensure patients can access high quality health services within 5km,expand health training to bridge the gap on e-Learning and medical training facilities,Promote cost-effective tele-medical services,Collaborate with the public sector in medical research and information sharing e.g. through the proposed national Data Centre and Commercialization of Research findings.
