Post: Counties Required to Meet Legal Standards for PHCF

Eldoret: The Senate Health Committee Chairperson Senator Jackson Mandago has called on all the 47 county governments to fulfil the law requirements to ensure all their health facilities Levels 1, 2, and 3 are gazetted in order to benefit from the Primary Health Care Fund (PHCF).According to Kenya News Agency, the Primary Health Care Fund is one of three funds established under Kenya's new Social Health Authority (SHA) framework, alongside the Social Health Insurance Fund and the Chronic Illness and Emergency Fund. It focuses on delivering essential health services at the community level, particularly at lower-level healthcare facilities (Levels 1, 2, and 3). The PHCF aims to enhance access to primary healthcare services for all Kenyans, regardless of their socioeconomic background, by providing financial support for these services.Speaking during a press briefing on Friday at the County Headquarters, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu, during Health CS Aden Duale's tour of the county, Mandago affirmed the senate's comm itment to ensure all regulations governing health in the country are keenly observed up to the devolved units. "We are keen to work together with the ministry of health and the president to ensure all law requirements are observed to ensure health services are sufficiently available at the grassroots at low cost," noted Senator Mandago.He also directed county administrations to expedite the process as soon as possible and ensure they have a committee that will help them to oversee the running of the health facilities to make sure all the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF) collected in hospitals is being used prudently to improve services in Levels 1, 2, and 3 facilities. The FIF Act of 2023 allows counties to collect funds from primary health centers, which are primarily user fees, for facility improvements and operational costs and reinvest them directly into those facilities.The Senate Health Committee Chairperson underscored the importance of enhancing services at the primary health facilities to reduce c ongestion in level 6 hospitals like Moit Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) and others across the country.