Kenya: Quality of the Care Assessment to Bridge Gaps in Healthcare Delivery

The Ministry of Health has unveiled the Health Facility Census Report 2023, spotlighting disparities between resource inputs (infrastructure, equipment, funds) and desired quality outcomes such as improved health, diminished mortality rates, and extended healthy lifespans.

Recognizing the imperative to scrutinize processes, the focus is now on fortifying Primary Healthcare. To achieve this, the Ministry is initiating a comprehensive Quality of Care Assessment (QOC).

Speaking in Naivasha when she officially closed the preliminary training for the assessment, Principal Secretary State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards Mary Muthoni informed  that QOC aims to delve into key areas among them:

Assessing the readiness of health workers to identify and manage prevalent causes of illness and mortality.
Examining the processes in place to institutionalize and sustain quality care across all health facilities.
Ensuring adherence to established standards by healthcare workers during patient care.
Evaluating patient experiences and satisfaction levels with healthcare services.

She noted that the  QOC will play a crucial role in uncovering facility and service delivery gaps contributing to suboptimal performance in indicators such as Facility Maternal Deaths, Maternal Deaths, and Facility Neonatal Mortality.

“This proactive approach underscores the Ministry’s commitment to enhancing healthcare quality and addressing critical challenges for the well-being of the population.” Said the PS.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.