Shun “kiosk mentality”: Bishop in Kenya Faults “unnecessary competition” in Duplicating Catholic Health Facilities

“This unnecessary competition comes from a lack of trust,” he said, and reiterated, “You see me doing well with my kiosk, and you set up next to me selling the same things; both of us lose. We need to rethink that approach.”

Bishop King’oo went on to emphasize the need for synergy, saying that when resources are pooled together, stronger healthcare services will be achieved and a positive impact on the people of God realized. 

Credit: Sr. Irene Muhanga

“We can come together and fund our health programs; but we need to address other issues to avoid unnecessary and meaningless competition,” he said at the conference that the Catholic Health Department (CHDK) of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) organized under the theme, “Transformative Health Financing Reforms Towards UHC: Strategic Positioning of Faith-Based Health Facilities.”

Credit: Sr. Irene Muhanga

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Drawing inspiration from Kenyan functional health institutions such as Aga Khan Health Services Kenya that explored synergy to realize healthcare and educational institutions, Bishop King’oo said, “If we work together like they did, with a lot of trust, we can move forward.”

The Local Ordinary of Machakos Diocese, who doubles as the Apostolic Administrator of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Wote championed the course of establishing a regional Catholic referral hospital, saying that such a move would address unhealthy competition among Catholic health institutions.

Credit: Sr. Irene Muhanga

He faulted the systemic failures in the collaboration between the Church and the various levels of government, saying, “There’s confusion between the county government and the national government.”

The Kenyan Catholic Church leader emphasized the need to have clear contractual agreements, especially in “private partnerships”, warning against “sugar-coated poison.”

Credit: Sr. Irene Muhanga

“We all want to embrace new technologies, but if you enter private partnerships, you might find that you're working for someone else. Your unit could become a parasite to your hospital, and you’ll be stuck in a contract,” he warned.

The Kenyan Bishop also urged health workers to embrace transparency and efficiency, particularly in the face of limited resources, underscoring the importance of commitment to their healthcare services.

“Commitment is irreplaceable. When you’re committed, you can achieve a lot. People will notice, and you might attract support. But if you’re not committed, you won’t convince anyone,” he said.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.