As a way of improving service delivery in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa, Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir has launched a customer care initiative dubbed the Mombasa care desk aimed at boosting the Social Health Authority (SHA) registration and streamlining healthcare services across the county.

The desk, which will be stationed in all public health facilities, will be manned by trained agents tasked with ensuring timely updates, monitoring and reporting on service delivery, and strengthening relations between patients and medical practitioners. 

County officials say the move is designed to enhance accountability and improve patient experience in government-run facilities.

In a bid to address emergencies and public complaints swiftly, the county also unveiled a 24/7 toll-free line, 1599, to enable residents to report emergencies and raise concerns directly to county health facilities.

The governor described the initiative as a critical step towards achieving access to affordable and quality healthcare, noting that it complements the expansion of medical facilities and the establishment of satellite level four hospitals across the county.

At the same time, Nassir announced a seven-day waiver on mortuary bills to help decongest facilities ahead of the official re-launch of the renovated mortuary, a move expected to offer relief to bereaved families and restore order in county health institutions.