Prof Flessa (right) and Mr Muchiri take questions after the lecture

Kenya, unlike Germany is on the right track in reversing trends in provision of health care because it costs more to maintain an aging population like that of Germany. This was said by Steffen Flessa, a professor of Health Care Management at the University of Greifswald in Germany while giving a public lecture titled 'Reversing the Trends in Health Systems' at Strathmore Business School (SBS) on Monday, 9th October 2007.

The lecture, which was facilitated by SBS in collaboration with GTZ (The German Development Corporation) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) centered on the dimension of Equity in Heath Sector Reforms.

The talk was a precursor to SBS's Advanced Healthcare Management Program (AHMP) which is scheduled to commence at the end of October. AHMP is designed to support the positive changes that have been occurring in the healthcare industry in Africa by equipping healthcare professionals with the knowledge, skills and expertise to think strategically, use technology, manage teams and systems and add value to service delivery in the healthcare in public and private sector.

Germany spends about $2904 per capita annually on healthcare while Kenya spends $19. Prof Flessa said there was an increase in the quality of health care provision in the Kenya. However, he was quick to point out that it was inaccessible to a majority of people due to high costs. He therefore reiterated the need to strike a balance between quality and equity.

He noted that a majority of people in rural and marginalized areas who are generally very poor cannot access quality health care centers that were close to them due to exorbitant charges and thus are forced to walk long distances in search of affordable health care.

"This is a waste of resources. Healthcare planners should be sensitive to the needs of the community because quality health care is useless unless those who need it can access it," he said.

Prof Flessa said there is a place for the private sector in healthcare. "Private sector thrives on efficiency- it offers same or better services at a lower cost to the consumer. Since private hospitals were allowed in Germany, the quality of healthcare has improved," he said.

Prof Flessa also emphasized the need for healthcare personnel like doctors and nurses to be trained in management so as to equip them with skills that would make them better managers of health care resources. However, he cautioned that management is not just about techniques but also integrity and character.

Mr Muchiri, the Chief Economist, Ministry of Health also noted that there was a lot of wastage of resources in the health care sector due to inefficient management.  He added that there was need to put up proper management structures to ensure proper utilization of resources so that people could get maximum value for their money.

"Ethiopia spends $4 per capita on healthcare yet it records lower infant mortality rates than Kenya which spends $19. We waste a lot of resources on non-medical related expenses like 4x4 vehicles," he said.

He reiterated the need to have trained managers running healthcare institutions. He said GTZ has offered to give funds to start a course to train managers in healthcare.

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