Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to preside over the official opening of the Karen Hospital. This modern, highly specialized health facility will go a long way in availing quality hospital care to Kenyans as well as to people from the wider East and Central Africa region and beyond.
I commend the Board of Directors of the Hospital for their vision in setting up this magnificent Institution. As Government, we support such a venture because it supplements our efforts to provide efficient and high quality healthcare services for all Kenyans.

I am pleased to note that this hospital will not only be treating patients, but it will also be providing training to those who wish to pursue a career in the medical profession. Indeed, the hospital's I.C.T. infrastructure is linked both internally and externally to other institutions such as hospitals and medical schools in our universities.

This will enable remote consultations, where doctors and patients can consult online without having to travel long distances. This is a major step forward, and it is my hope that patients and institutions will take full advantage of it. It is also my hope that the skills and knowledge acquired through the operations of this hospital will be passed on to aspiring doctors, nurses and other medical professionals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
As you are aware, medical care is getting more and more expensive, the world over. This is because of the enormous resources that are continually committed to medical research, diagnosis and treatment. It is for this reason that my Government has introduced favourable policies and practical interventions that allow players in the private sector to contribute towards development of our health sector.

Indeed, our health sector policy framework and the new Strategic Plan fully recognize the private sector as a key partner in the delivery of health services and outlines areas where the private sector can complement the services being provided by the Government.

My Government attaches a lot of importance to the health of all Kenyans. This is part of our commitment to enhancing human development and facilitating the process of economic recovery. Indeed, over the last three years, my Government has concentrated efforts in addressing the most pressing challenges facing the health sector. In particular, we have paid attention to the problem of inadequate resources, which has been one of the key impediments to the delivery of quality healthcare services.

I am glad to note that in the current financial year, for example, my Government raised the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health to 31 billion shillings, up from 23 billion shillings, the previous year. Additionally, we have stepped up measures to improve access to health care by rehabilitating health facilities across the country and increasing the number of medical personnel. During the current financial year, we have allocated 1.2 billion shillings to renovate building structures in our dispensaries, health centres and hospitals countrywide.
This is over and above the funds which constituency committees are spending on construction of dispensaries and other basic health facilities. Another 800 million shillings has been used in the procurement of new medical equipment.

With regard to human resource, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, will recruit a total of 3,200 new medical personnel before the end of this Financial Year. The new personnel will be deployed in various parts of the country, especially those areas that are facing severe staff shortage.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Government recognizes that improving the quality of healthcare services requires active involvement of the beneficiaries of those services. The Ministry of Health has developed a new strategic plan that seeks, among other things, to enhance community participation in the delivery and management of health services. This will ensure effective, efficient and transparent utilization of the resources that the Government is channeling to the health sector. The strategy also lays more emphasis on preventive healthcare services.

In addition to these measures, the Government has taken specific and systematic measures to combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. I am happy to note that the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has steadily reduced from 14 percent in the year 2000 to the current 6.1 percent.
This positive development has been made possible through our aggressive AIDS awareness campaign as well as the promotion of safe behaviour. We have also registered good successes in the war against Malaria and Tuberculosis.

With regard to malaria, last year the Government with support from our friends distributed over 3 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets. These nets were issued free to pregnant women and babies in all our health facilities. This year, the Government is providing improved and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets.

Already, 200,000 nets have been distributed countrywide. A further consignment of 3.4 million nets is expected in the country by June. The nets will be distributed at a minimal cost. They will however, be given free of charge to pregnant women and mothers with babies. The Government will also be introducing a new and more effective drug for malaria treatment in May this year, in order to address the problem of rising cases of resistance to existing drugs.

I must emphasize that the Government will not tolerate public officers who misuse the resources being availed by the Government for implementation of healthcare activities. Those charged with the responsibility of managing funds allocated towards combating these diseases must ensure that they are utilized prudently.
Accounting officers should ensure that audited accounts are availed on time in order to safeguard sustained funding for the health sector.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The steady increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and obesity is a matter of growing concern in this country. These medical conditions not only require close attention in the hospital, but they are also expensive to manage. As the Government continues to address these challenges, I call upon Kenyans to observe dietary and physical discipline that will keep these diseases at bay. Indeed, many of these problems can be controlled through simple, yet effective change in lifestyle.

I wish to commend the Heart-to-Heart Foundation for creating awareness on the growing risk of heart disease in our society, largely because of unhealthy dietary and physical lifestyles. The campaigns by the Foundation are no doubt saving many lives by sensitizing people on healthy living in order to reduce the occurence of heart disease.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate my Government's commitment in supporting private sector participation in the health sector as we all seek to improve the health of every Kenyan. This is in appreciation of the fact that a healthy nation is a key pillar of our WORKING AND CARING NATION.

It is now my pleasure to declare the Karen Hospital officially open.

Thank you and God bless you all.