Operationalisation of Primary Health Care Networks (PCN) approach in Nakuru County have enhanced healthcare quality, accessibility and service delivery within the region.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Ms Roselyn Mungai said the Primary Health Care networks are aimed at bolstering the country’s healthcare infrastructure and were critical in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensuring comprehensive health services to all residents.
The CECM explained that PCNs are local organisations set up to improve patient care in their regions and make primary healthcare more efficient and effective, adding that it was a strategic approach developed by the national government to establish connections between health facilities and the community.
The initiative is said to be driven by the national government in collaboration with counties and development partners and aims at revolutionizing healthcare delivery by establishing PCN in all 47 devolved units.
The PCN strategy is said to emphasize integrated, comprehensive, continuous and coordinated care focusing on health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
Ms Mungai said Nakuru County had already operationalized 16 Primary Care Networks (PCN)and were being run by Multidisciplinary Teams (MDTs) who conduct regular outreach in the community, forming various support groups to help patients with better access to health care services and management.
The CECM spoke after multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) conducted an integrated PCN outreach at Redeemed Gospel Church Langalanga Centre within Nakuru Town East Sub-County and Mbegi Dispensary in Morendat Ward within Gilgil Sub-County.The initiative was supported by Shepherd’s Heart International, a United States based non-governmental organisation.
Ms Mungai said the PCN framework ensures that quality primary healthcare services are available and accessible to the population adding that with the establishment of PCNs the county will be able to expand access to quality Primary Health Care (PHC) and intensify PCN rollout to achieve UHC as per the national requirement.
She cited the Mbegi Dispensary where she said the PCN outreach offered a range of services, including health education, cervical and breast cancer screenings, family planning, HIV testing and counseling, immunisations, and non-communicable disease (NCD) screenings, with 248 clients said to have benefited and an addition 224 from Redeemed Gospel Church Langalanga Centre having received integrated services.
The CECM said the devolved unit’s health department is scaling up PCN implementation and will employ strategic communication and advocacy tools to guide Primary Health Care (PHC) and Primary Care Networks (PCN) efforts moving forward.
“We are committed to ensuring high-quality and affordable healthcare for all, thereby contributing to the global agenda of Universal Health Coverage,” she explained.
Primary Healthcare Ms Mungai affirmed was the cornerstone of the healthcare system, providing essential health services that are universally accessible to individuals and families in the community.
She observed that Primary Healthcare was not just the first level of contact with the health system but also the foundation for a healthy society, addressing the majority of an individual’s health needs throughout their life.
Mungai continued that Primary health care was rooted in its potential to address fundamental health needs and improved overall health outcomes through a holistic and community-oriented approach adding that the PCN model goes beyond traditional healthcare delivery representing a holistic reimagining of healthcare services as the networks are poised to address most of an individual’s health needs throughout their life, offering a more integrated, accessible, and practical approach to health and wellbeing.
By Esther Mwangi