It is no secret that our health system has recently faced some challenges that have stretched its capacity, with the biggest one being the Covid-19 pandemic. The government through the Ministry of Health and its other arms has put in place measures to ensure that our health systems are able to serve the Kenyan people as we navigate the pandemic. These measures have in fact helped many health facilities to improve on their capacity, processes and resources to serve Kenyans long after the pandemic is over.
This has helped build on one of the government’s ambitious Big Four Agenda projects that was introduced a few years back – the Universal Health Coverage (UHC). The project aims at making quality healthcare accessible to all Kenyans without financial worries.
Kenya’s healthcare system is made up of several sectors: public, private and faith-based or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). About 48% are public and operate under the Ministry of Health, 41% are in the private sector, 8% are faith-based health services while 3% are run by NGOs. These statistics prove that private sector players are critical in the attainment of UHC.
UHC initiative is about ensuring all individuals and communities have access to quality healthcare. Now, one thing we need to understand is that UHC does not necessarily mean healthcare is free, but rather that personal out-of-pocket payments do not discourage or make people shy away from using health services, and that people are protected from “catastrophic health expenditure”. “Most Kenyans are just one critical illness away from poverty” has become a popular phrase in the country because of the huge cost associated with accessing quality healthcare. However, at Bliss Healthcare, we have always aimed to change that perception.

Bliss Healthcare
So how can private healthcare institutions help in the attainment of universal health coverage? It is by setting up practices that have the capability to offer access, quality and affordability of health services. A good example of such an institution is Bliss Healthcare.
Bliss Healthcare was started ten years ago with the core objective of improving access to primary healthcare among millions of Kenyans. It is ranked as one of the leading health institutions championing for universal healthcare. Currently, it is the largest integrated network of outpatient medical centres in Kenya with 69 outlets spread over 38 counties. The network serves over 80,000 patients each month through its workforce of over 1,000 employees.
To do this, Bliss relies on four key pillars. First, Bliss aims at ensuring that health care facilities are accessible to as many Kenyans as possible. To do this, Bliss has been rolling out outlets in various parts of the country, including the remote areas such as Marsabit, Maralal and Kakuma. By doing so, Bliss has reduced the distance, time and transport costs that the local communities needed to cover in order to access healthcare.
Another key pillar is quality. Bliss Healthcare does not want to compromise on the quality of service provided to its patients. It is a policy that no matter where in the country a patient is, he or she receives the same quality of medical care. This means that even if one was in Nairobi while another patient was in Marsabit, the equipment available, the staffing as well as the medication provided is all of the same standard. The standardized quality on offer is the same throughout its footprint. Bliss Healthcare has an unmatched array of equipment including 6 CT Scans, 41 X-Rays, 56 Ultrasounds, 53 Dental Units and 48 Optical Units spread across the country.
Of course we cannot forget affordability as a major factor. One of the biggest hindrances of accessing healthcare in Kenya is the huge costs. With the public health system stretched and the private healthcare system deemed out of reach for the common mwananchi, Bliss Healthcare has sought to bridge the gap. Bliss came into the picture with an aim of providing satisfactory services at very affordable rates. Even with state of the art equipment, Bliss has some of the lowest rates of service for an institution of its calibre. It has partnerships with reliable health insurance firms including NHIF.
Community engagement is also a key consideration as the institution has a very robust corporate social responsibility ( CSR) programme that has seen it annually conduct free medical camps; free tests at its various medical centres including free blood pressure, body mass index, random blood sugars, optical and dental checks, visits and donations to children’s homes, schools and farming communities as well as free health talks at various companies to educate staff on health issues.
Attaining UHC should not be viewed just as an issue of only having access to health services whenever needed without causing financial hazard. Part of the drive for UHC should be to ensure that preventable diseases do not develop in the first place. Indeed, prevention is one of the key components of UHC for quality health services alongside health promotion, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.