The Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) has delivered a consignment of drugs valued at Shs.100 million to Nakuru County.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Eric Korir said the assorted medication will be delivered to 180 health facilities within the devolved unit including Nakuru Level 6, Naivasha and Gilgil Sub-County Hospitals and dispensaries within the 11 sub counties.
“We have adequate stocks of drugs in all our health facilities that were delivered last year. We are topping up the supplies to ensure that residents have an adequate access to preventive and treatment drugs,” stated Dr. Korir.
The Deputy Governor said the County administration had put in place continuous health infrastructural improvement programmes by equipping health facilities with diagnostic and treatment medical equipment.
The KEMSA South Rift Coordinator, Maina Nding’uri hailed the county administration for making timely payments for drugs supplied.
The Narok, Murang’a and Nairobi counties have been barred from drugs from the KEMSA for nonpayment as four other counties stop seeking drugs from the agency.
The Data from Kemsa reveals that Nairobi, which has a debt of Sh.284 million, Murang’a (Sh.21 million) and Narok (Sh.104.5 million) have been denied fresh supplies over the past three months because of the unpaid bills.
The drugs agency says Kwale, Kericho, Kilifi and Makueni counties have not ordered fresh drugs from Kemsa in the three months.
“I want to confirm that Nakuru has no outstanding debt apart from this consignment. We want to encourage other counties to pay up as millions of Kenyans rely on low cost state hospitals for medicine,” said Nding’uri
The County Executive Committee Member for Health, Dr. Kariuki Gichuki said the county was using Sh.100 million every quarter to buy drugs from KEMSA.
He said that his department had put in place strategies to ensure an affordable and reliable supply of drugs and medical equipment to all health facilities in the county.
“We also have medical supplies in virtually all our health facilities that diagnose and help in the management of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension.
I encourage Kenyans to go for regular checkups for these new trends of ailments,” said the health CEC.
He said the county administration had put in place water tight monitoring and evaluation measures that guarantee only deserving cases get drugs and that they do not end up in private chemists.
“There is a high level of accountability as we ensure that returns of all drugs and medical equipment delivered to health facilities are made by relevant authorities,” he asserted.
By Anne Mwale
