The Ministry of Health has intensified efforts to strengthen patient care and health system coordination through the development of the Kenya Healthcare Referral Policy, a key reform aimed at ensuring patients receive timely, appropriate, and quality care across all levels of the health system.
As part of the ongoing process, the Ministry on Thursday convened a stakeholder engagement forum in Nairobi, bringing together representatives from national and county governments, healthcare professionals, regulatory bodies, professional associations, SAGAs, and development partners to contribute to the policy framework.
A well-functioning referral system is critical in ensuring patients access care at the right level and are seamlessly referred when specialised services are required.
Strengthening this system will help reduce waiting times, improve emergency response, enhance continuity of care, and optimise the use of health resources. Kenya continues to experience increasing demand for specialised services, coupled with a high number of self-referrals to higher-level hospitals.
This has led to congestion, delays, and inefficiencies, with many patients bypassing primary care facilities where services could be accessed closer to home.
The proposed Kenya Healthcare Referral Policy seeks to address these challenges by establishing clear referral pathways, strengthening communication between facilities, and enhancing accountability across the system.
Key priorities include standardising referral procedures, ensuring timely patient transfers, improving feedback between referring and receiving providers, and reducing congestion in specialised hospitals.
The policy is currently undergoing stakeholder consultations and technical review, with validation expected in the coming months ahead of finalisation and adoption.
Once implemented, the policy will strengthen patient-centred care by creating clear pathways across the health system, enabling faster and more coordinated referrals, and reinforcing healthcare delivery at the county level.
This aligns with Kenya’s broader health sector reforms, including the advancement of Primary Health Care and Universal Health Coverage under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
