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Accessibility To The Health Care System
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As a result of the high population, the Kenyan
government has tried to provide equity in the health care system so as
to effectively alienate human suffering and improve life-styles of her
citizens. The Kenyan medical system is marred by many factors that
render accessibility and delivery of health care difficult. These
factors include poor govern-ance, overreliance on donor funds,
corruption, nepotism, traditional and cultural beliefs of the citizens, a
lack of a medical filing system, lack of efficient infrastructure,
massive poverty and illiteracy.
One of the main economic activities
that bring great revenue in Kenya is agriculture. This is a highly
manual labour that requires lots of productivity and good health care of
her citizens ensures great productivity at work too thus lowering the
poverty level.
Proper health care is of importance in reducing
poverty and increasing the economic growth because as it is, general
unwellness of the citizens renders Kenya poorer. Most adults are unable
to access proper medical care thus staying away from their workplaces on
long sick leaves. These long sick leaves end up reducing the economic
growth.
The set Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) focus on the
improvement of health as well as enhancing human life on a global scale.
There are 8 set MDGs and three of them relate to the improvement of
health care provision to human beings. The three goals aim at improving
maternal health, reducing child mortality as well as enhancing the fight
against HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Kenya is currently
battling the HIV/AIDS pandemic and malaria is one of leading causes of
death in Kenya. Maternal health has lots of room for improvement in
order to reduce the mortality of infants and loss of maternal deaths.
Inaccessibility
to health care in Kenya is mainly evidenced by the gap between the
wealthy and the poor citizens. The rich among the society are able to
pay an extra amount to have their health care needs met appropriately
and fast while the poor have no option but to accept whatever care they
receive, at whatever time the care is availed. The health care of these
poor majorities is greatly minimized by the favouritism greatly showed
to the rich minorities.
The poverty level in Kenya in a study
conducted in the rural areas in Kenya in 2007 linking poverty levels to
the geographical conditions was estimated to be at 45%. This report
showed that almost half of the 44 million residents of Kenya live under a
dollar per day. This is equivalent to living under Kenyan Sh105 a day
(Okwi et al, 2012).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]Kenya has a population of approximately 44 million people. Health services are provided through a network of over 4,700 health facilities countrywide, with the public sector ac-counting for about 51% of these facilities. The best quality of care is found at the national referral hospitals, which provide diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative services. Kenya spent 5.1% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on healthcare in 2002. Life expectancy is also on the decline. In 2006, the child mortali ... Continue reading---
