The Kenya medical supplies agency on Monday delivered medical supplies worth shs 11 million to Turkana county as part of the first phase of medical supplies delivery.
County executive committee member for health Jane Ajele said the total cost of the entire supplies to be delivered in phases is Ksh 116 million with the county directly contributing ksh 80 Million and the UHC program footing the remaining cost of Ksh. 36 Million.
“The supplies which included essential medicine, pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticals and laboratory supplies are expected to last the hospital for the next five months,” said Ajele.
Medical equipments used by patients seeking orthopaedic and disability mainstreaming services such as wheelchairs and bandages have also been delivered by Kenya Medical Supplies Authority(KEMSA).
Ajele said that procurement of the medical supplies was meant to stock enough drugs and ensure continuity of health and sanitation services in the hospital ,especially during this period of the Corona virus pandemic.
The County Executive said that the drugs received consisted of consignments purchased by the ministry as well as the ones provided under the Universal Health Care program (UHC) of the National Government.
While assuring of proper use of the received medical supplies, Lodwar County referral hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr. Namoru Ekitela said that the hospital had already installed a working e-system for ease of monitoring and tracking the movement of drugs and other medical services.
The second phase of the supplies meant for facilities located at the sub-counties will be delivered by KEMSA in a week’s time ,through the last mile technique.
Speaker of the county assembly Erastus Lokaale recently said the county assembly had approved the supplementary budget 2 which allocated shs 667,570,600 towards covid 19 emergency response.
The appropriation Bill has since been assented into law by Govenor Josphat Nanok.
The funds have been allocated to the ministries of water, health and public service and disaster management.
The ministry of public service and disaster management would receive the lion’s share of shs 441, 231,000 to provide relief food to the vulnerable people.
“We made this decision because the majority of our people are poor so we needed to cushion them during this crisis,” said Lokaale.
The ministry of health was allocated shs 159,335,600 while the ministry of water was allocated shs 67 million.
By Peter Gitonga
