Kenya Medical Supply Authority (KEMSA) has installed advanced digital systems to enhance its operational transparency and efficiency in executing her mandate.
This has been achieved by implementing the digitization of its environment with the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS), which provides real-time visibility of health commodities, allowing stakeholders to track stock levels accurately which is set to go live very soon.
Speaking at the Serena Beach Hotel, Shanzu, during a strategic reviewing session, Shanzu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Waqo Ejersa, highlighted that the state corporation is on the verge of launching the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, which will make the procurement process highly visible and transparent to the public.
This initiative aims to streamline financial management and inventory control, ensuring that essential health supplies are consistently available nationwide.
The CEO highlighted that these technological advancements are crucial for nurturing accountability and improving the overall supply chain management in Kenya’s healthcare sector.
He said that KEMSA’s board is composed of experts across the whole spectrum of governance who are conducting a transformative review of its performance over the past year to address challenges and strategically position itself to fulfill its core mandate.
This comprehensive evaluation, he said, aims to identify areas for improvement and develop innovative solutions to enhance KEMSA’s role in ensuring commodity security.
KEMSA’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and operational excellence is driving its journey to enhance its status as a reliable provider of healthcare supplies and a key player in Kenya’s healthcare landscape.
“Fighting corruption is our number one agenda through automation and a mindset change hence we have digitized our environment through the logistics management information system that ensures real-time visibility of health commodities to the facilities and to everyone in that loop
Additionally, he highlighted long-term debts within counties as the leading challenge within the authority thus they are in talking terms with governors to have them settled through proactive measures.
“As at the moment our order fill rate is 56 percent but if we add something we call “back order filling it goes all the way to 65percent although our target goes all the way to 80- 90 percent, we are on our way there,” he noted.
He added that they are taking significant steps to enhance their operational efficiency and financial sustainability by engaging consultants to assess their strategic direction to help them identify critical issues related to order fill rates, turnaround time and overall financial sustainability.
With strong support from the government, KEMSA anticipates a substantial recapitalization effort that will facilitate more efficient debt collection and foster better stakeholder engagement.
“This approach is designed to place KEMSA at a good position in the healthcare supply chain, ensuring that it meets the needs of its consumers and the community it serves effectively,” he said.
On his part, the chairperson of KEMSA, Samuel Tanui highlighted the authority’s enthusiasm to ensure the success of the SHIF- SHA program, citing a total of over 19.5million people that are currently enrolled in the program.
He highlighted the critical role KEMSA plays in the availability of essential medical supplies across 47 counties.
“We have the capacity to procure, store, and distribute medical supplies effectively,” Tanui highlighted.
By Nuru Soud and Fatma Said
