ground is that there are very limited resources available in hospitals to fight this pandemic . As we speak majority of private hospitals are overwhelmed with a large number of coronavirus patients . Some hospitals are so full that you have to sign at admission a consent to be taken to a field hospital should your condition improve as the main hospital is completely full .
Even the limited resources to manage Covid-19 are very expensive and we have seen NHIF and most insurance companies rescind their responsibility to their clients by hiding behind the fine print “ pandemics are exclusions !” From an economic perspective this strategy might seem sensible , but the ethical aspect of this is yet to be factored in . I can give you examples of many people who for years have been remitting premiums and by virtue of age and with God ’ s blessing have been reasonably healthy . Never had an in or outpatient visit . Now comes corona your only chance to ever use your medical cover and viola … you can ’ t use it because it is an exclusion .
As mentioned before whether in or out patient managing Covid-19 is quite costly . I have seen ads for some health care organizations for packages for home based care and figures such as KSh . 50,000 /= are being floated around . Mind you , you are at home feeding and looking after yourself this is for phone consultations and check tests . How many Wanjikus do you know who can afford such a package ??
Build trust by giving due respect , delivering on promises and avoiding nasty surprises . Build intimacy by demonstrating behaviors such as empathy , affability , sensitivity and likeability . When trying to win business , it ’ s wise to start small .
Studies show that 74 % of clients trusted salespeople with industry knowledge . This is possibly an unfair demand but it reiterates the fact that people buy from people who consistently demonstrate that they know what they ’ re talking about . It ’ s imperative to keep updated and with the plethora of information available , there is no excuse .
It may not be a financially sound strategy but to insurance companies and NHIF , note that dead people cannot pay premiums so it is actually in the interest of everyone to ensure that the healthcare costs are able to be met so that people can survive this pandemic to be able to pay your premiums going forward .
I ’ m beginning to sound like Trump : Covid , Covid , Covid !!! But even as Trump ’ s strategies for fighting the pandemic may be questionable he showed leadership in various aspects . The drive for self-sufficiency in production and provision of essential commodities . This has been echoed here in Kenya where we have started producing our own masks and various PPE ’ s and even have a home grown solution for ventilators . These are the positive aspects that leadership has provided an enabling environment and in the cascade created jobs and so forth .
The down side of the Trump administration is the reluctance to insist on simple life saving strategies such as wearing of masks . In Africa and Kenya in particular leadership has done well with their messaging on wearing of masks , hand washing and social distancing .
The greatest challenge however has been a case of preaching water but drinking wine . The political elite will tell you to limit the number of people attending church , funerals or other social gatherings but go on to have huge rallies with many participants not wearing masks and unfortunately some of the attendees have paid a heavy price for breaching the safety protocols .
You are also asked to limit non-essential travel yet you will see members of the political elite in Dubai for one reason or another some even in parte after parte postures . Big summits such as the G20 and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership ( RCEP ) were done virtually , you wonder why some of our leaders have to travel abroad ?
There are several challenges involving leadership in healthcare but this is the time we need sound and visionary leadership at the very top . Right now I feel this is the actual time to implement the lockdown , the number of new cases and deaths are increasing daily . If we can ’ t impose the lockdown then good strategies on how to remain open safely should be outlined as we eagerly await this vaccine .
I ’ m jubilated that Pfizer , Moderna and Astra Zeneca have all declared they have a vaccine ready . The timing however is very interesting as all three companies released information regarding their vaccine within a month of each other with similar efficacy rates that seemed to change based on what the competitor was saying .
I may sound like an antivaxer , but I ’ m actually very hopeful for the vaccine as it is through this that may be with God ’ s grace some semblance of normalcy will resume . I can ’ t wait for the day I can shop and go out with family and friends without having to wear a mask . The hand hygiene I feel should be the plus and win that Covid has brought and would advocate that this stays long after we have triumphed over this pandemic and pray something like this never happens again … however history is not on our side the only beautiful thing history tells us is that we shall overcome .
Marion Wakahe is a marketing professional who is passionate about business growth and sustainability and its role in peoples ’ empowerment . She is of the opinion that the marketing function is the primary driver of business growth . You can engage with her via email : MWakahe @ gmail . com .