Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General (SG) DR. Davji Bhimji Atellah has disclosed that the doctors are willing to support the new cabinet secretary nominee for health DR. Deborah Mulongo Baraza.
In a statement shared on X on Friday, July 19, 2024, Davji said the union will help Baraza in restoring dignity in the profession and the quality of healthcare in the country.
Davji further stated that they hope the new CS nominee will improve the quality of healthcare systems for all Kenyans, including decent work for all health workers.
“KMPDU Congratulates DR. Deborah Mulongo Baraza on her appointment as the Cabinet Secretary for Health. We warmly welcome her to the dutiful responsibility of ensuring quality healthcare systems for all Kenyans, including decent work for all health workers,” Davji said.
“We are willing to support the new CS nominee to restore dignity in the profession and the quality of healthcare in the country. Congratulations!!”
DR. Baraza is among the eleven cabinet secretaries nominated in the broad-based cabinet to assist the president in driving the urgently needed and irreversible transformation of the country.
KMPDU Congratulates Dr. Deborah Mulongo Baraza on her appointment at the Cabinet Secretary for Health.
We warmly welcome her to the dutiful responsibility of ensuring quality health care systems for all Kenyans, including decent work for all health workers. pic.twitter.com/xFgXKxdj6k
— KMPDU (@kmpdu) July 19, 2024
Who is DR. Baraza?
According to the document shared on X by the State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, DR. Barasa is a Medical Doctor specialising in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases with over 15 years of experience.
Over 15 years of field experience as a senior medical officer with progression to an Internal Medicine Physician and technical advisor having worked in health institutions both national, referral, private and community-based organisations.
She co-led the infectious disease pillar addressing outbreak-prone infections such as Respiratory infections (COVID-19, diphtheria), viral haemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, SVD), and contagious diarrhoea (cholera) among others.
Former Health CS
Baraza replaces former CS Susan Nakhumicha who became the CS for health in 2022 and she was among the twenty-one CS who were dismissed by Ruto on July 11, 2024, to pave the way for the broad-based cabinet.
Nakhumicha while thanking Ruto revealed that the Ministry of Health has initiated far-reaching reforms in the health sector to lay a firm foundation for the realisation of Universal Health Coverage(UHC).
“I am grateful to H.E. The President for allowing me to lead the rollout of Universal Health Coverage(UHC), which is one of the Government’s flagship programmes. It has been a busy 21 months where we initiated far-reaching reforms in the health sector, both legislatively and policy-wise, to lay a firm foundation for the realisation of UHC,” she said.
“Proud of the Ministry of Health team who midwifed these reforms, development partners and the legislature that passed the bills. Thanks to the Health workers for the support and my heart goes out to Community Health Promoters who made our mantra “Afya Nyumbani”. To those I didn’t meet your expectations, I take it that life is a learning experience.”