Doctor on Call is four and ready for more candid talk on reforms

It has been an amazing four years now since this column started. What started as an opinion letter was followed by an invitation by my editor to contribute regularly and it became a column.

I took a different viewpoint from the ‘Ask a Doctor’ columns and chose to highlight challenges and opportunities in the sector.

The private sector, the public and other stakeholders, can, through collaboration, innovation and right decision making, address the problems, I told myself.

However, we are not there yet, we’ve not even scratched the surface on matters reform.

The same things we were discussing five years ago are still those being highlighted by the media: delayed doctors’ salaries, missing drugs in hospitals, poor service delivery, among others. There is, however, lots of other positive things happening.

Four years ago leasing medical equipment was no known topic. In the next five years more medical equipment will be leased than bought.

This lowers the entry threshold for medic entrepreneurs to make available missing and expensive services to the public.

In the past, financial and banking institutions perceived medics as ‘jua kali’ people, in the next five years banking and financial institutions not having products aligned to the sector will be missing out.

No single hospital had been built on partnerships but I can confidently state that before the year ends more than three will be built on this model.

That even the real estate sector is now willing to partner with medics to create professional facilities shows the power of discussions.

In the next few years doctors will not have to rent premises designed for other services, but will just be asked to occupy tailor-made quarters.

It is also encouraging that the public is now raising questions about health care as the recent increase of NHIF rates shows.

Health care activist

These are just a few of the interesting things that propagated ideas and discussions can bring.

Over the years I have received encouraging e-mails from general readers, corporate organisations and development agencies.

Most are encouraging and positive but I have also received a few offensive ones.

As a doctor, I have had a few journalistic shortcomings in this column and I appreciate your assessments and understanding. As a health care reform activist, I say there is still more room for improvement.

Because of space constraints, we may not touch on all the subjects this column has handled or intends to, but a few will suffice.

As I begin my fifth column year, we can have a critical mass of informed Kenyans that can question, discuss and help implement meaningful health care reforms.

Meaningful reforms

For a long time, we have stood back and let politicians have a field day on the subject.

This should change. Participation of the private sector and the civic organisations in health care reforms is vital.

Ask yourself: “What can my organisation do to improve the health system?” Only then can we truly be on the path to meaningful reforms.

More importantly, however, keep the comments and criticisms coming; for they are the fuel that motivates columnists.

Thank you for your feedback and looking forward to more interactions and comments.

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