Kenya is a blessed country. She has a wealth of natural resources, skills, gifted and talented individuals; hardworking men and women filled with ideas and dreams of an even more beautiful Kenya for their offspring.
Great strides have been made toward the healthcare, medical, bio-medical, and public health infrastructure in Kenya. Much appreciation is raised to, and for all the new private practices, hospitals, research and healthcare facilities that have facilitated better quality healthcare. Kudos is given to the increasing use of mobile phone technology for healthcare access in several pockets of the country. Much gratitude is also raised to leaders who have enabled local and international affiliations in various healthcare settings. See, these are the stories we hear, and those that we take pride in. We, as Kenyan citizens, or those who hold dual citizenship, or the wealthy that live in the Kenyan suburbs, or the employed, whose organizations afford us health insurance, or the relatives of those who work in the healthcare industry. After all, (we) are the people who matter…Right?
But, what about those Kenyans resident in rural areas? Those who are unemployed? Or the small business owner working hard to support his family and cannot afford healthcare insurance in Kenya? What about the aging population? What about the uninsured? What about the girls and women who cannot afford annual obstetric and gynecologic examinations? What about those to whom basic sanitation, immunization, vaccination, diet, health & education are not available? Who speaks for /on behalf of these people? Who are they anyway? Do they even matter?
So, some random thoughts…