Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital (MeTRH) has received a consignment of drugs worth Sh12 million from Kamashinani in partnership with the EK foundation, which is a major health boost to the county residents.
Speaking during the donation ceremony, Kamsashinani Foundation Director who is also the Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi said it was a great honour getting a chance to get back to the facility after they donated computers, this time to donate drugs in support of the community’s health care system.
“We want to thank the County Government of Meru for accepting the support we are getting from our partners. Sometimes you can get partners to work with but then the administration can even reject or fail to support that cause,” said Murungi.
He added: “So, today we have come humbly with 2.4 million molecules of cetirizine and these drugs will cater for allergy issues in Meru for the next two years. I have talked to the administration and promised them that in case this allergy is much more in the County than expected, then they can come back for more support.”
He assured the county government they were not closing their doors and their partners were ready to give the necessary support.
“The reason we are doing this is because we know right from the national budget, we cannot get enough resources to do everything that is needed in this country. So, what we are doing here is to support both the national and the county government with the little support so we can help them assist our people,” said Murungi.
“As legislators, we know how the budgets are and the need for healthcare in this country is enormous. We are crying that this hospital should go to level six but to get to that level we need a lot of resources so that others can come to level five,” he added.
“So, we know there is a lot that is needed in the health sector and also we are happy the government has come up with a Social Health Insurance Fund so that everyone can be covered in getting the medical support,” said Murungi.
He thanked President William Ruto for the idea of coming up with the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), which he said will ensure that every Kenyan is covered medically.
“We are happy the President has also reduced contributions for the low earners up to Sh300 per person in terms of monthly contribution to the insurance fund and that those who cannot afford this will get free medical cover,” he said.
EK Foundation’s representative Mr Howard Miriti said they have been at the facility and made some other donations before and had previously promised to bring them drugs.
He appreciated the facility management’s willingness to receive the donation adding that as EK Foundation through the Kamashinani Foundation which cites and identifies the need, they were committed to providing or giving donations according to the need basis.
“We are looking forward to many collaborations in the coming days and more drugs will be coming as we promised and will support the hospital, through Kamshinani Foundation, with more different molecules,” said Miriti.
MeTRH Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Leah Moriasi expressed her gratitude to the two foundations for honouring their request to assist them with drugs.
“They had visited us before and we cited the need to collaborate further in terms of any resource they have to support the hospital with and on this day, they heeded our call and were able to come and give us this needed molecule not only to us but to the rest of the facilities in the county,” said Dr Moriasi.
She said they were appreciative of the partners who supported the hospital in various ways including Kamashinani and EK foundations and the Senator who has been their partner and supporter in terms of health provision and in trying to reach the less fortunate in the county and supporting them to seek healthcare in the facility.
“We look forward to the support of both our Senator, Kamashinani and EK foundations, the county government of Meru, and all other partners who currently support and are willing to support us as we continue to provide care to the rest of the population of Meru and beyond Meru County,” said Dr Moriasi.
She said the hospital’s needs were usually great, and regarding medication only, they allocate to the pharmaceutical department about 25 per cent of what they required.
“We estimate that as a facility, to be able to meet all our needs to provide care to patients adequately, we would require up to Sh1billion worth of medication in different departments from oncology to antibiotics to medication needed in theatre and all populations from paediatrics to adults,” said Dr Moriasi.
“Therefore, from the allocation that we get, we are able to provide barely 25-30 per cent in terms of both pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals and even just other services and therefore if we get partners who are willing to come and supplement both in the county government and other partners who come as their personal responsibility, it definitely goes a long way to breach that gap from the 25 to 100 per cent,” she noted.
Health Administration Director Dr Koome Muthuri said cetirizine is usually used to treat allergic infections and common colds and it’s a big plus for people of Meru. “According to our quantifications, the drugs will take us to around two years,” he added.
He appreciated the gesture saying that it would go a long way in helping Meru residents from the various health facilities as the drugs would be distributed across all the health facilities in Meru County.
“We look forward to such collaborations so that we are in a position to serve the residents better,” said Dr Koome.
By Dickson Mwiti
