Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has lamented the healthcare situation in the country after visiting a modern hospital in Dallas, Texas in the USA.

In a statement on Monday, August 4, 2025, Gachagua observed that healthcare and the well-being of patients must be prioritized.

“Healthcare is beyond rhetoric; the well-being of everyone, the compassion and comfort of patients, and peace and wellness must be created in the minds of patients,” Gachagua said.

Modern public hospital

“In Dallas, after the Church, we took an experiential tour of The Parkland Hospital, which is a public health facility. Led by Joanne Muturi, the programme director, we visited various departments, including the emergency department, Ambulance Bay, the psychiatry emergency department, and finally, the medical ICU, just to learn how they conduct their operations.”

He equally stated that the healthcare system should not overburden dependents or relatives with hefty hospital bills in an organized system.

“No patient or their relatives or dependents should be worried about hospital bills and failed systems anywhere in a sober governance system,” Gachagua noted.

Duale rolls out SHA system

This comes just hours after Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale rolled out a  Health Information Exchange (HIE) with a focus on transparency, security, and real-time service delivery.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, August 4, 2025, Duale said the move marks a significant milestone in the government’s fight against theft, cost manipulation, and ghost billing in hospitals

The digital infrastructure is also designed to eliminate duplicate testing, fraudulent claims, and billing fraud. Hospitals no longer need to submit physical documents to file claims, a loophole that has been widely exploited in the past.

“We are not just automating processes. We are building a system that protects patients and safeguards public funds,” said Duale.

“No more paper records. No more fake claims. No more double-billing. Every shilling contributed by Kenyans must work for Kenyans,” Duale declared.

During the ceremony, Duale also revealed that over 25 million Kenyans had been registered in the Social Health Authority (SHA) programme, the Kenya Kwanza pet project which has been blamed by the opposition for its inefficiencies.