If the CS is to provide free antenatal care to the masses , a line budget must be set aside for it . The current ministry budget cannot adequately sustain all the services it already provides , how would it be expected to miraculously provide free antenatal care . services without any support for provision of the same . In budgeting we are required to show how much we are making in order to get access to more funds . The bill gives the ministry of health the role to mobilize resources for these activities . If the CS is to provide free antenatal care to the masses , a line budget must be set aside for it . The current ministry budget cannot adequately sustain all the services it already provides , how would it be expected to miraculously provide free antenatal care . The trend has been budget cuts and it has not changed with the new administration .
GYN CHRONICLES
Under Siege : The Maternal , New Born And Child Health Bill 2023
Dr . Maureen Owiti
Once again , we mere mortals , otherwise known as healthcare providers , are under fire as nominated senator Beatrice Ogola wants us to be liable to fines not exceeding KSh . 500,000 / - for individuals and Ksh . 1,000,000 /= for institutions for purported medical negligence . This was headline news in one of our daily papers . At first glance and based on the headline the bill looks punitive but in order to be fair I decided to skim through it . On interrogating the bill , I realized it ’ s actually a good bill as it advocates for access to quality maternal and new born services . However , there are various areas that definitely require more thought .
Below is an excerpt from the bill :
“ 7 ( 1 ) The Cabinet Secretary shall put in place measures to ensure access , by every pregnant woman , to health services aimed at ensuring optimal health conditions for the woman and every foetus throughout the pregnancy and after the birth of the child .
( 2 ) The health services under subsection ( 1 ) shall include : ( a ) early detection of pregnancy ; ( b ) free prenatal care ; ( c ) referral to childbirth preparation classes as desired ; ( d ) referral to adoption services at licensed agencies if indicated ; ( e ) health care services in the intrapartum period ; ( f ) health care services during the postpartum or postnatal period ; ( g ) training in the feeding and care of infants including breastfeeding support practices ; and ( h ) any other services relating to prenatal , intrapartum and postpartum period that may be prescribed .
( 3 ) The Cabinet Secretary may , for purposes of subsection ( 1 ), prescribe standards and guidelines for the provision of maternity healthcare services to pregnant women .”
The above section clearly has good intentions and my first add onto this as they seem to forget would be that Assisted Reproductive Technology is available . Either before or together with article 7 ( d ) on referral to adoption services add referral to Assisted Reproductive Technology services if indicated .
The other elephant in the room is article 7 ( b ). free prenatal care . This would be the ideal and I would strongly recommend it . The only challenge with this is that like all social pillars we will be forced to provide the
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If the CS is to provide free antenatal care to the masses , a line budget must be set aside for it . The current ministry budget cannot adequately sustain all the services it already provides , how would it be expected to miraculously provide free antenatal care . services without any support for provision of the same . In budgeting we are required to show how much we are making in order to get access to more funds . The bill gives the ministry of health the role to mobilize resources for these activities . If the CS is to provide free antenatal care to the masses , a line budget must be set aside for it . The current ministry budget cannot adequately sustain all the services it already provides , how would it be expected to miraculously provide free antenatal care . The trend has been budget cuts and it has not changed with the new administration .
I would advise makers of this bill to give a budget estimate for onboarding this activity with mitigation measures to curtail stock outs and lack of staff . It is also an opportune window for the makers of the bill to lobby and advocate for the implementation of the Abuja declaration , to which Kenya is a signatory and compel the government to allocate 15 % of the national budget to health .
We are all aware of the finance bill 2023 and its implications . My question is there is no mention on how much and where this financing will come from . Don ’ t throw stones as in principle money has to be mobilized from somewhere in order to perform certain activities . I wish the current dispensation could focus more on limiting excesses in expenditure and closing loopholes on graft . Although we all know that graft lurks behind shadows and not a feat one can perform easily , with political goodwill it is definitely a surmountable challenge .
As for the funds collected noting that housing is important it would provide employment in the interim but not in
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