Kapenguria: Residents of West Pokot County showed up at Mtelo Hall in Kapenguria for a public participation forum organised by the Ministry of Health to give their inputs on the Quality Healthcare and Patient Safety Bill 2025 amid fears of the anticipated countrywide demonstrations over the death of young people during last year’s anti-government protests.

According to Kenya News Agency, the participants drawn from members of the public, organisations, and officials from both the county and national governments expressed their delight over the policies being developed in the Bill, saying it will help streamline the health services across the board. However, they registered their resentments over what they claimed was unsatisfactory health services that public health facilities were offering, citing laxity and complacency among some staff.

Solomon Kibet, a participant, remarked on the government’s effort to uplift health service standards across the country, as the Bill advocates for best practices for anyone engaging in the provision of health services. However, he noted complaints from those seeking services from public facilities, highlighting the need for the Bill to consider assessing the performance of every health facility, which calls for creating special teams at the village levels to document people’s complaints.

Participants also expressed concerns over the accessibility of outpatient services using the SHA cover, noting that most facilities in the region have been denied these services. Samuel Rotino emphasized the necessity for SHA-accredited facilities to offer both inpatient and outpatient services, as outpatient services are the most sought after.

West Pokot Health and Sanitation Chief Officer, Mrs. Nelly Soprin, praised the policies highlighted in the Bill, noting that it will assist county governments in offering quality health services. However, she disclosed that the county was still leading in child mortality rates, attributing it to high illiteracy levels and child pregnancies.

Mrs. Soprin pointed out insufficient budgets for health services, leading to inadequate health staff to handle the increasing health needs from residents. Since the administration took over in 2022, they have 160 health workers and are planning to add 234 more.

She encouraged residents to enlist for SHA, mentioning that the uptake is still low, with some participants indicating that some residents lack basic requirements such as ID cards and mobile phones needed for successful registration into the system.