Delays by City Hall to pay Kemsa’s outstanding bills, resulting in refusal by the agency to supply drugs, led to poor healthcare provision, a report has shown.
The Nairobi City County Annual Development Plan 2019-2020 indicates delays in paying Kemsa led to stock-out of commodities and the consequent interruption of services in public hospitals.
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority stopped supplying medicine to county hospitals in February last year over a Sh 285 million debt.
Patients were left to buy drugs and other medical supplies from private hospitals and chemists, which is more expensive.
After governor Mike Sonko pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta and Health CS Sicily Kariuki to intervene, the agency supplied drugs worth Sh146 million, but the county had to pay Sh58 million in June.
The report notes the health sector was also affected by inadequate supply of laboratory reagents and equipment and delayed disposal of expired commodities and obsolete assets. Also undermining better health services was inadequate stores, especially in subcounties, where buffer stocks can be held pending redistribution.
“Most facilities also lack adequate storage capacity,” the report says.
Lack of electronic commodity data management in most health facilities hindered provision of quality of services due to lack of reliable use of data to assist in accurate quantification, forecasting, supply, planning and eventual procurement.
The report also notes the county has not implemented guidelines on the management of human resource for health workforce in regards to promotions, upgrading employee relations (such as unions) and pension.
This has caused disruption of health services through strikes. The county’s workforce stands at 3,464 staff out of the required 5,200.
The CADP further explains that among the 3,464 workers, technical staff, who mainly comprise of Public Health officers, nurses, clinical officers and medical officers are 2,604.
It was earlier revealed 253 employees had retired and the county urgently needed to fill the positions.
As a result the Public Service Board early this month advertised for the vacancies.
Appearing before the Health committee yesterday, acting Health executive Charles Kerich admitted understaffing was a great concern.
He said 1, 736 new health workers are needed in different cadres to achieve optimal staff levels across health facilities in the county.
“We could make a case why we need to be allowed to hire even more. Shortlisting is currently going on for additional staff but that staff will have very little impact as we still need more,”Kerich said.
Health committee chairman Peter Warutere said that the service delivery in the sector is paralysed and it is in urgent need of intervention in order to be resuscitated. The chairman accused the county of hiring under-qualified staff, some on acting capacity. Acting Health director Lucina Koyio said at least Sh250 million is needed for staff promotion.
The report also indicates the county’s health sector collected Sh583 million against the sectors target of Sh774 million in 2017-18.
To ensure adequate supply of medicine, City Hall plans to increase its budget to Sh702 million.
Health was allocated Sh6.9 billion compared to Sh1.2 billion last year.
City Hall also plans to implement projects in the Nairobi Regeneration programme to improve service delivery and to decongest Kenyatta National Hospital.