Today August 1, 2024, Dr. Deborah Mulonga Barasa underwent vetting for her nomination as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health.
During thesession, she addressed various questions from the vetting committee, focusing on her qualifications, professional experiences, and vision for the health sector in Kenya.
Professional Background
Dr. Barasa highlighted her extensive medical background, including 18 years of experience and her work with the World Health Organization (WHO). At WHO, she contributed to developing sustainable health programs across Eastern and Southern Africa, provided technical guidance on infectious diseases, and supported member states in crafting national health action plans.
Addressing Registration Concerns
One of the initial concerns was about Dr. Barasa’s registration status with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC). She clarified that she had never been deregistered, but had faced delays in updating her license, which has since been resolved.
Dr. Barasa outlined several key priorities for the Ministry of Health:
Strengthening Healthcare Infrastructure: She emphasized the need to enhance healthcare infrastructure to provide better services.
Improving Healthcare Worker Conditions: Dr. Barasa highlighted the importance of improving conditions for healthcare workers to ensure they are well-supported and motivated.
Addressing Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases: She discussed strategies to tackle both communicable and non-communicable diseases, leveraging her international experience to enhance the quality of healthcare services in Kenya.
Ensuring a Seamless Transition: Dr. Barasa addressed the transition from the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). She acknowledged the challenges of this transition and proposed a phased approach, starting with pilot programs in select regions to identify potential issues before a full-scale rollout.
Engaging Stakeholders: Dr. Barasa stressed the importance of involving all stakeholders, including healthcare providers, insurance companies, and the public, to ensure transparency and build trust in the new system. Her goal is to create a more inclusive and efficient health insurance scheme offering broader coverage and better benefits to all Kenyans.
Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: She proposed enhancing transparency and accountability through digitalization and stricter oversight mechanisms. Dr. Barasa suggested establishing an independent audit committee to regularly review procurement processes and financial transactions.
Whistleblower Protection: She emphasized the importance of protecting whistleblowers to encourage the reporting of corrupt activities without fear of retaliation.
Increasing Funding and Job Opportunities: She acknowledged the high number of unemployed medical graduates and proposed increasing funding for the health sector to create more job opportunities and improve working conditions for doctors.
Comprehensive Workforce Planning: Dr. Barasa emphasized the need for a comprehensive workforce planning strategy to address the maldistribution of healthcare workers. She committed to collaborating with the Ministry of Education to align medical training programs with the health sector’s needs and ensure that newly trained doctors are adequately prepared to enter the workforce.
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