Budget cuts will not affect critical health services, CS Duale assures

The proposed budget cuts in the ministry of Health will not affect critical services, Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale maintains.

He disclosed that his ministry is holding negotiations with the National Treasury to see to it that when the 2025/2026 budget estimates are read on June 12, none of the critical areas in the health sector will be affected.

The CS also allayed fears that key vaccines for children have run out, maintaining that there are enough stocks to last up to next month when new supplies will be brought in.

He noted that the only vaccines whose supply the Ministry was grappling with are BCG and polio which, however, he said will be restocked from next month.

“The only two vaccines I have a problem with are BCG and polio. We have paid for, we are working with UNICEF and still have stocks, but a stock that will cover for the next eight months will arrive on the 15th of June,” the CS said.

Duale  was speaking when he visited Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) to assess progress in advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and to familiarise with achievements and challenges.

He was taken around the 64-bed ICU, 21-bed Cath Lab, Cancer Centre Annex with advanced CyberKnife and LINAC machines and the Transplant ICU, among others.

The CS said the hospital management had appealed for increased support to operationalize the New Cancer Centre, with a budget expansion of Ksh 250 million, additional LINAC machines, stronger referral policies and timely SHA reimbursements to enhance services under Taifa Care.

Terming KUTRRH as a key pillar in universal health care provision, he said he will push for more funding in the crucial specialized treatment areas like oncology and kidney transplant surgery.

The CS also awarded certificates to nurses who pioneered the kidney transplants at the hospital as the country marks the International Nurses Week 2025.

At the same time, he said there is urgent need to establish a regulatory framework for organ donation and transplants amid reports of malpractice and unethical behaviour by some health facilities.

“As access to transplant services increases, we must ensure that every procedure adheres to the highest standards of ethics, transparency and safety of both the donor and the patient,” the CS said.

“The ministry is actively reviewing the existing laws and policies to ensure that the system is protected from abuse and that organic donation and transplantation are carried out in a just and accountable manner,” Duale added.

He also reiterated the ministry’s support and called for strict adherence to integrity, accountability, and compliance with legal requirements in staffing, procurement, and financial management.

Regarding the Social Health Authority (SHA) registration figures which currently stand at 22 million, Duale said Mombasa leads among the top 10 counties with 58.9 percent, followed by Bomet 51.7 per cent and in third position with 50.6 per cent.

Other counties among the top 10  in SHA coverage are Elgeyo Marakwet (48.4 per cent), Kirinyaga (48.2 per cent), Kisumu (44.8 per cent), Lamu (44.3 per cent), Kericho (43.7 per cent), Embu (43 per cent) and Tharaka Nithi (41.1 per cent).

Together with Board of Directors, chaired by former Senator Kembi Gitura, Duale held a consultative meeting with the hospital’s senior management, where he received a briefing on key services offered and performance updates under SHA compared to the former NHIF scheme.

The updates highlighted adjustments in coverage rates, including open-heart surgery now at Ksh 952,000 under SHA from Ksh 450,000, dialysis rising from Ksh 9,500 to Ksh 10,650 per session, and PET/SPECT scans increasing from Ksh 50,000 to Ksh 53,500.

The CS was accompanied by Director General for Health Dr.Patrick Amoth, Head of Nursing and Midwifery Services Dr Judith Awinja, KUTRRH CEO Dr Zeinab Gura and Deputy Director Clinical Services Dr Onyimbo Kerama, among other senior officials.