The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Hon. Susan Nakhumicha, has pledged to constitute a multi-sectoral medical team to review the medical records and needs of the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing survivors to see how they can be assisted by the Government. 

At the moment, the bombing attack victims are forced to dig deeper into their pockets to cater for their medical care despite not being at fault for their injuries. 

While appearing before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee that’s Pushing for Compensation to the Kenyan Victims of the 1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing attack earlier today, the Cabinet Secretary informed the Senators that her Ministry couldn’t provide medical assistance to the survivors at the moment, since there’s no formally constituted medical board to review their medical records. 

 “There’s a need to understand the current health needs of the survivors by reviewing their medical records and undertaking medical assessments. This can only be done by a medical board,” CS Nakhumicha submitted.

She added that there’s also a need to assess the vulnerability status of the survivors by the State Department of Social Protection to identify the vulnerable groups with limited ability to pay for their health care so that they can be included in the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) subsidised health insurance under the National Scheme through counties. 

The Health CS promised that her Ministry would explore areas of partnering with like minds to give the required assistance that shall improve the well-being of the victims. 

The Members of the Ad Hoc Committee directed the Cabinet Secretary for Health to constitute the medical board in a week’s time to ease the weight that the survivors have been shouldering for over two decades. 

“The Ministry of Health plays a crucial role in shaping healthcare in our country. We need the entire health sector representatives to work with us to ensure that the injured victims receive the required healthcare support,” Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu, who is also the Chairperson of the Ad Hoc Committee, said.

Senators pledged to find ways in which they can set aside a special fund to pay for the annual premium for the survivors to access either a tailor-made or enhanced health benefits package at NHIF or the current National Scheme.