SHA: William Ruto Flags off 47 Multi-Million Shilling Surveillance Vehicles to Counties, Their Cost
- President William Ruto flagged off multi-million shilling disease surveillance vehicles to all 47 counties
- Ruto said the vehicles are part of his government's commitment to invest in the digitisation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
- The vehicles, which are Isuzu D-Max Double Cab, come with features that will ensure every part of the county is accessible
- According to the vehicle price, the Kenya Kwanza government is estimated to spend around KSh 422.8 million on purchasing the 47 vehicles
President William Ruto has flagged off disease surveillance vehicles to all 47 counties.
Source: Facebook
The multi-million shilling vehicles are part of the government's commitment to universal health coverage (UHC).
Why Ruto gave counties disease surveillance vehicles
Speaking during the event at the Statehouse, Nairobi, Ruto said his administration undertakes strategic investment and collaboration to enhance UHC.
"We are strengthening public health systems and grassroots disease surveillance, and enhancing emergency response through strategic investments and collaboration.
"The deployment of digitised, integrated surveillance systems across all 47 counties, alongside targeted training, has boosted national vigilance by streamlining detection at both health facility and community levels," said Ruto.
Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aden Duale affirmed that the vehicles will strengthen the government's commitment to public health response.
Duale noted that through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the government intends to invest in health systems and response mechanisms, ensuring quality and affordable health care.
"These vehicles are a critical step in strengthening our public health response capacity across the country, reinforcing our commitment to Universal Health Coverage through Taifa Care.
Further, the initiative aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda by investing in health systems and response mechanisms, ensuring that Kenyans across the country can access quality and affordable health services," said Duale.
What are the vehicle features?
Source: Facebook
The vehicles flagged off to the counties are Isuzu D-Max double-cab, powered by its legendary turbo-diesel engine.
It also has a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms and is built for off-road journeys. The vehicle can navigate rocky trails and uneven road surfaces.
This means the vehicle can traverse all remote areas in the counties.
How much is Isuzu D-Max double cab
According to Isuzu Kenya, D-Max Double Cab 4 X 4 Models price ranges between KSh 6.9 million to KSh 8.9 million.
Ruto's administration bought 47 D-Max Double Cab for each of the county governments in the country.
The cost of the vehicles could be estimated at between KSh 326.7 million and KSh 422.8 million.
President Ruto said the government will continue to invest in health, urging all Kenyans to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to advance the implementation of Universal Health Coverage.
SHA challenges
The Social Health Authority (SHA) has been facing challenges affecting the implementation of UHC.
SHA revealed that it has onboarded more than 20 million Kenyans to the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF).
However, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) argued that the authority refused to onboard its members.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
