Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale has made six pledges after officially taking over the health docket from Deborah Mulongo Barasa, who has taken up the environment docket.

Speaking on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, during the official handover, Duale pledged to ensure that the Social Health Authority (SHA) settles hospital claims by the 14th day of every month to ensure efficiency.

Duale on ICU & HDU bed rebate under SHA

Duale also said that effective April 1, 2025, the ICU & HDU bed rebate has been enhanced to Kshs. 28,000 per day, while the oncology package for cancer patients has been enhanced to Kshs. 550,000 per person.

“Moving forward, SHA will settle hospital claims by the 14th of every month, ensuring financial stability for healthcare providers. ICU and HDU rebates have been increased to Ksh 28,000 per day, while cancer patients will now access an enhanced oncology package of up to Ksh 550,000 annually,” a statement shared by Duale via his official social media accounts read in part.

Human resource matters

Duale has also promised to fast-track all pending and perennial human resource matters under the Ministry of Health and work with all stakeholders to achieve a long-lasting solution.

He further promised to ensure the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) order fill rate goes up to 90%. To achieve this, recapitalization of Ksh 1.5 billion to KEMSA is to be provided through the supplementary budget, and negotiation for a credit facility of up to Ksh 5 billion is to be provided.

Duale on system hitches

Moreover, Duale says all system hitches will be addressed for seamless service delivery, with a 24-hour/7-days TaifaCare call Centre available by dialing 147 (toll-free number) fully deployed to handle all queries.

“The government has also prioritized the healthcare workforce, equipping 107,831 Community Health Promoters (CHPs) with essential kits and smartphones while finalizing CBA negotiations with healthcare unions to improve working conditions. Reforms at KEMSA are ongoing, with Ksh 6.5 billion allocated to streamline drug supply and eliminate inefficiencies. In the digital space, a national health information system has been deployed, with hospital management systems rolling out across counties to enhance service delivery,” Duale stated.