•Says traders from the private sector have infiltrated into the health industry to take advantage of poor Kenyans suffering from chronic ailments to sell counterfeits and fake products
Allocating more funds for healthcare without proper accountability is a waste, Dr Amit Thakker has said.
Thakker is the chairman of the Kenya Healthcare Federation and the co-founder of Avenue Healthcare.
Citing the example of the 100 mobile clinics procured by the government in 2015 and now lying idle, Thakker said to achieve affordable health care and the common UHC agenda, wastage of funds is something which needs to be curbed.
“You have seen our tendering and procurement processes. The 100 containers lying idle at Mombasa port was obviously an example of misplaced purchasing on systems that were not appropriate by the ministry of health,” Thakker said.
"When it comes to corruption, in other industries you may have another chance but in health, it is equal to death.”
According to the medic, the amount of waste in efficiency and health care scandals were all good money that could involve supplies for several patients that could have maintained their lives.
Estama Investment Ltd supplied the 100 portable clinics at a cost of Sh1.1 billion.
The equipment arrived at the Port of Mombasa but has not been distributed more than two years since being shipped in.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) filing revealed that Estama Investments spent Sh1.4 million to buy and import each of the container clinics that were then sold to the government at Sh10 million.
“We don't need more money for health, we need more money for the health,” Thakker noted.
He sternly warned traders from the private sector who have infiltrated into the health industry to take advantage of poor Kenyans suffering from chronic ailments to sell counterfeits and fake products.
He said sale of counterfeits and fake products has led to complications especially in among diabetic patients, with some developing kidney failure and even death.
“The second thing is the aspect of quality. We need the right treatment at the right time by the right person. We need to be focused on the fact that quality is critical. Quality is not negotiable,” the medic said.
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