West pokot: West Pokot County has received its first-ever state-of-the-art CT scan machine under the National Equipment Service Program (NESP), through the Taifa Care Initiative, following its launch by President Dr. William Samoei Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 128-slice CT scan machine was delivered to the county by a delegation from the Executive Office of the President, led by Dr. Wilson Aruasa, Health Advisor at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors and former CEO of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). Dr. Aruasa described the moment as historic for West Pokot, noting that this is the first CT scan machine the county has installed since independence.
Dr. Aruasa emphasized that this development marks a major milestone not only for West Pokot but also for the country’s healthcare system. The initiative is part of the broader efforts to implement the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), focusing on various sectors including health, agriculture,
MSMEs, and financial inclusion.
The National Equipment Service Program (NESP) replaces the previous Managed Equipment Service (MES) Program and involves the supply of 23 lots of medical equipment to counties without requiring upfront costs. Under this fee-for-service model, equipment such as CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound machines will be supplied directly from manufacturers, with revenue shared between counties and vendors based on service usage.
West Pokot is among the 25 counties that have benefited from the program so far, with other counties scheduled to receive equipment soon. Dr. Aruasa highlighted the new healthcare financing framework under the Social Health Authority (SHA) and commended West Pokot County Government for enrolling 127,000 people under SHA.
The initiative has significantly improved the financial standing of health facilities like Kapenguria County Referral Hospital, which has seen a fivefold increase in monthly earnings. Nationally, SHA has disbursed about Sh60 billion since its inc
eption, a threefold increase compared to the previous National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) payouts.
Dr. Aruasa also addressed challenges such as lack of ID cards among pregnant teenagers and the implementation of the ”one-bed, one-patient” policy, assuring that these issues are being tackled. He praised the increase in bed capacity and emphasized maintaining good labor relations with healthcare workers.
The new CT scan machine is ready for installation, with staff training and commissioning to follow. The construction of a building to house wards and radiology is expected to be completed in the coming months, after which the equipment will be officially commissioned.
Dr. Jacob Ruto, Pokot County Director of Health, confirmed that the arrival of the CT scan will reduce the 30% of referrals currently made due to lack of imaging services. He expressed gratitude to the President and the national government for their support and eagerly anticipates further medical equipment under NESP.
