Kenya Secures Wheelchair Donation to Boost Access to Assistive Technology
The current initiative marks a major achievement for Kenya as it makes progress toward providing inclusive healthcare services.
By Ruth Sang
Through its wheelchair donation agreement which will provide 1000 wheelchairs to Kenya the country has achieved significant progress in making assistive technology more accessible. The initiative is designed to support the Ministry of Health’s ATscale Project which aims to improve essential assistive devices delivery to people who require them.
The agreement was formalized through an official signing by the Principal Secretary from the State Department for Medical Services with Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) as the signing partner. This partnership between the two organizations demonstrates Kenya’s dedication to progress its Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program which aims to provide equal access to essential health services and medical products and advanced technologies to all residents of the country.
The donated wheelchairs will be distributed throughout Kenya by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) according to the distribution plan. The system has been designed to provide support for all individuals who require it no matter where they are located in the world. The public distribution method will help people with disabilities by providing them better access to mobility tools.
The Principal Secretary emphasized during the ceremony that community level systems need to be strengthened through better system development. The process of screening and assessing patients and diagnosing their condition needs to be done properly so patients can receive the proper assistive devices. He believes that improving operational procedures at the local level will enable proper resource distribution while making sure that people who urgently need the devices will receive them first.
He also pointed to the progress already achieved under the ATscale Project. The program has trained rehabilitation professionals who work at both county and national referral hospitals to develop their skills. The personnel learned skills through the World Health Organization (WHO) 8-Step Wheelchair Service Provision model which teaches them how to provide wheelchair services in a structured way that focuses on users. The rehabilitation services at the facility have achieved major advancements in both quality and operational efficiency.
The Principal Secretary emphasized that all healthcare systems need to be used to their fullest capacities because these systems provide essential benefits through their Social Health Authority (SHA) framework. The health sector can achieve better service delivery through enhanced access to assistive technologies that result from improved health systems utilization.
The signing event brought together key stakeholders from multiple organizations involved in the initiative. The agreement was signed in front of Latter-day Saint Charities representatives and Ministry of Health members and Clinton Health Access Initiative officials.
Dr. Andrew Toro Director of Curative Services Dr. Saleh Bardad Head of Clinical Services and Ms. Irene Gichohi Head of Rehabilitative Services were among the high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Health who attended the event. Deputy Country Director Rosemary Kihoto Assistive Technology Program Officer Kennedy Mugambi and ATscale Project Manager Nicholas Nyamweya represented the CHAI delegation.
LDSC had three representatives at the event who included Mr. Johnny Baddoo Area Welfare and Self-Reliance Manager Mr. Peter Ondigo Nairobi West Stake President and Mr. Robinson Aliero Public Affairs Manager.
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