Westgate exposed our healthcare and emergency response weaknesses

My deepest sympathies and love to the people who were caught in the Westgate attacks.

A lot of information will come forth as the days go by. As clues and tips are pieced together, the big picture will become clearer. Notwithstanding, a number of questions persist.

As the emergency unfolded, Kenya Red Cross, as usual was helping out and they deserve a lot of credit. Why was there no government agency or private company to deal with such situations? Should we expect Red Cross to save us every time?

Why, if Kenya is a sovereign nation, does it need an international body to be the main and sole supplier of emergency health services?

If we can build highways and mega-structures using massive loans with the help of foreign experts, why not invest in the medical sector and create emergency response units which can be mobilised when required?

In Kenya, we allow high medicine prices to kill ordinary Kenyans because of unimaginative thinking.

The multivitamin the doctor recently prescribed for my daughter costs Sh800 here. In India, this same bottle, from the same manufacturer, goes for Sh70.

How does a commodity appreciate more than 1000 per cent in price without the government feeling obliged to “sort” it? Obviously this structure suits the very few who profit so handsomely as to give King Leopold hiccups in his grave.

The government must create special immigration policies for key sectors where changes are needed, such as healthcare. The notion that foreigners will come and take local jobs is myopic and mythical.

Going further, Kenya must open up its medical sector to Indian companies, who can be invited to set up manufacturing in the country and hire locals and undertake skill transfer programs.

Multinationals are milking ordinary Kenyans dry and dumping outdated medical products into the market.

We must simultaneously invest in a mega health to encourage the formation of a healthcare cluster. As services improve, Kenya can save millions of dollars that flow to India every year for medical treatment. Soon we can attract customers for our health services from the rest of Africa.

Government, if it is smart, can benefit from substantial business opportunities. Most Kenyans today don’t have health insurance and other basic life financial products.

The government, by providing these at an affordable rate can generate revenues while improving lives and creating jobs. We would be self-sufficient in healthcare and in a position to export our services, models and people.

Cuba has one of the best medical systems in the world, and virtually all the know-how has been developed in-house. Its healthcare system is on par with some Scandinavian countries despite trade embargoes and using only Russian help.

It is high time the Government of Kenya thought more about creating sweeping and fast reforms in key sectors, and less about trying Machiavellian tactics for the ICC and other machinations.

On Twitter I could see an entire battalion of handles for the government, police, and other ministries. The Kenya Police Twitter account, in particular was only verified during the crisis. Had it been hacked, as was witnessed in the Syrian conflict, massive panic would have resulted.

Why did the companies that took out multiple adverts in sympathy not put that Sh50 million or so together and buy CCTV cameras for the busiest bus terminal in Nairobi?

The Kenyan spirit will never be broken, but we have to learn from our mistakes. The people, who lost their lives are martyrs and freedom fighters of this nation. It is the duty of each and every one of us to carry with us their dreams and aspirations.