Long before the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, not much was known past the Cabinet Secretary of Health. Should there be any cases to answer concerning health, all fingers pointed to the Cabinet Secretary – By Gerald Gekara
Dr Patrick Amoth probably the first Health Director General you know of. He surfaced during the covid-19 pandemic and has been consistent with the media limelight because of his prowess in handling technical details of the coronavirus press briefings.
While appearing in a rather unusual question and answer session on Twitter, many applauded the Health DG for his grasp of health matters.
Dr. Amoth holds a degree in Obstetrics/Gynaecology from University of Nairobi, and a Masters in Medicine. The man has quite the decorated career rise, from Kisumu to heading Kenya’s Family Health docket.
Through his career, He has served as a Chief Medical officer in charge of Obstetrics/Gynaecology in Provincial Hospital Kisumu, Kenyatta National Hospital, where his duties included offering curative services and teaching junior doctors and nurses.
He later scaled up to be a Senior Medical specialist Obstetrics/Gynaecology Kiambu District Hospital until March 2012, when he got promoted to Machakos Level 5 Hospital. Later on, Dr. Amoth landed at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital in Komarock, as the Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services.
In October 2013 he was appointed the Head division of Family Health at the Ministry of Health.
Among his current duties and responsibilities are:
- Developing national guidelines on standards of health care for both clinical and community health practice in Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child health,
- Planning, directing and developing preventive and promotive policies at the national level, the formulation and development of national health policies, plans and programmes.
- The technical representation for the Ministry of Medical Services at the Public Service Commission for career progression of doctors,
- Offering expert opinion in medico-legal issues affecting the Ministry of Health and State Law Office
- Capacity building of staff at both the National and County level and ensuring standards of care on reproductive, maternal and newborn and child health at county level.
Dr. Amoth will exceptionally be remembered for his harsh statistics concerning the prediction of 10,000 coronavirus cases in the long run, a figure we are yet to even achieve a tenth of.
