The Principal Secretary for Medical Services, Dr. Ouma Oluga, recently held a high-level meeting with Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko at Afya House to explore ways of strengthening collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the County Government of Migori. The meeting focused on enhancing the health system’s responsiveness to the needs of Migori residents and aligning national programs with county-specific priorities.
During the meeting, Dr. Oluga reiterated the Ministry of Health’s unwavering commitment to supporting counties in their efforts to transform health systems. He noted that the Ministry is actively working to ensure national health programs are responsive to the diverse challenges and realities faced at the county level.
Dr. Oluga underscored the importance of expanding coverage under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and emphasized the need to assess the health workforce comprehensively including workforce numbers, distribution, and skill levels. This, he said, was key to developing targeted interventions that enhance service delivery across all counties.
“We are very keen to work with you on the percentage of the population that has been covered in SHA registration and the overall state of your health workforce in terms of numbers, skills, and distribution,” Dr. Oluga stated.
He also highlighted the Ministry’s efforts to ensure that counties benefit from the National Equipment Support Programme (NESP), a flagship initiative designed to boost diagnostic and treatment capacities at health facilities across the country. Migori County, he affirmed, is among the prioritized counties under this program.
“On issues around equipment, we are committed to ensuring county uptake of the National Equipment Support Programme, and Migori is among the priority counties,” he said.
Governor Ayacko welcomed the Ministry’s continued support and reaffirmed the county’s readiness to partner on a range of priority areas. These include upgrading health infrastructure, strengthening ambulance services, enhancing the supply of medical equipment to both primary and referral facilities, and boosting the availability of kits for Community Health Promoters (CHPs).
He also emphasized the importance of increasing SHA enrollment within the county, noting that about 37.7% of Migori’s population has been registered so far. He expressed confidence that enhanced collaboration with the Ministry would help raise these numbers and ensure broader access to quality healthcare.
“Partnerships like these are critical to delivering quality and equitable health services to our people,” the Governor said, emphasizing the county’s dedication to working hand-in-hand with the national government.
Also in attendance at the meeting was the Director General for Health, Dr. Patrick Amoth, along with other senior officials from the Ministry of Health. The discussions concluded with a mutual agreement to fast-track joint initiatives that will strengthen the health system in Migori County and improve health outcomes for its residents.
