- County Public Health Officer Thomas Oirere said investigations are expected to establish how the drugs ended up in the facility
- He said the facility was operating without valid licenses
Image: MAGATI OBEBO
A multi-agency team in Kisii county has launched investigations to establish how government branded HIV drugs found their way into a private medical facility.
This follows a raid at the facility over the weekend that confiscated a number of GoK labeled HIV drugs, which are not for sale.
The raid was conducted by Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council and County Public Health Department after a tip-off.
Kenyenya Police boss Gomba Sebe said one person was arrested and 39 doses of Septrin impounded.
“We arrested a member of staff and released her on a cash bail of Sh15,000. She will be arraigned in court to face charges of possession of drugs labelled GoK,” Sebe said.
The raid has exposed how well connected individuals are accessing government drugs and selling them at exorbitant prices at private facilities.
This happens while patients seeking services at public facilities suffer.
County Public Health Officer Thomas Oirere said investigations are expected to establish how the drugs ended up in the facility.
"Report was made on Friday that there was a facility operating a clinic and a pharmacy in Bomachoge Borabu and selling government drugs. Together with officers from the DCI we visited the facility and impounded the drugs,’’ Oirere said.
He said the facility was operating without valid licenses.
“We had not inspected or licensed the clinic because when my officers visited the clinic sometime back, the owner said he was closing it down due to losses. But it was still operational during the raid,” Oirere said.
“I am appealing to members of the public to visit facilities that are licensed and authorised to operate.’’
A KPMDC official said they are investigating licenses displayed at the clinic that were purportedly issued on October 4, 2o22 and had an expiry date of December 31, 2023.
"We are trying to establish if the licenses are fake or genuine, we will return here again for further action,” the official said.
The documents showed that the clinic was certified to operate as a private level 3A Basic health centre under registration number 017694 and license number 60437.
Kisii Governor Simba Arati had raised concerns over sale of government drugs at private chemists and clinics.
He had made efforts to arrest the situation by installing CCTV cameras at public health facilities.
Arati had said public health facilities will be automated as a way of preventing theft of government drugs and also ensuring efficiency in their distribution across the county.
Some members of the public had accosted health staff allegedly smuggling drugs from government facilities.