Leased medical equipment: Items in 30 hospitals idle

Leased medical equipment supplied to counties under a government scheme are either lying idle or dysfunctional in at least 30 hospitals. 

In some hospitals, the equipment is yet to be commissioned or installed despite each of the 47 counties paying Sh200 million every year.

Documents from the Ministry of Health show that in Tana River county, theatre equipment supplied to Garsen Hospital remain idle for lack of electricity, anaesthetists and theatre nurses.

In Eldas and Kigumo hospitals in Wajir and Muranga counties, theatre equipment have been installed but are not functional for lack of medical personnel and anaesthetists.

Theatre equipment are also not operational in Mwala (Machakos), Suguta Marmar (Samburu), Endebes (Trans Nzoia), Baragoi (Samburu) and Kacheliba (West Pokot) hospitals.

In Meru, renal and ICU machines lie idle for lack of space to install them.

In Kapenguria District Hospital in West Pokot, the renal equipment remains are not functional for lack of electricity.

The revelations emerged yesterday during the questioning of Health CS Sicily Kariuki by the Senate ad-hoc committee inquiring into the Leased Medical Equipment Scheme. 

The senators were also told that the Ministry of Health did not carry out any needs assessment on personnel before supplying the equipment. 

In 2015, the Ministry of Health signed a Sh38 billion deal with select international firms to supply the equipment to hospitals across the county for a fixed term of seven years.

The money for the payment of the equipment is deducted at source.

The contract was however varied and every county made to pay Sh200 million up from Sh95 million per year for the equipment.

“Surely, why are counties paying for what they are not even using, what is the hurry for paying these equipment. Why are we paying?” Nominated Senator Mary Seneta asked.

Appearing before the committee last week, Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya said that the programme was forced on them.

He said the governors were not consulted in the conceptualisation of the programme and were not involved in the assessment of the counties’ needs.

“In Kakamega, the equipment was dumped at night on a Saturday. I was not aware that they were being brought we signed the MoU under duress,” he said.

But the CS, while admitting that some of the equipment are still lying idle, fought off the notion that they have failed in all the facilities.

“The equipment was not dumped in the counties. What I know is that the discussion were a bit laboured, each county saying we need this and we don’t need that,” Sicily said.

Sicily explained that the ministry conducted a needs assessment in counties and produced a report that informed the leasing of the equipment.

However, Nominated Senator Judith Pareno dismissed the CS’s argument, reminding her that submissions by the CoG boss showed that counties were never consulted.

“In fact, the equipment is idle because they had initially acquired one. How can you explain this, would you say that the county government officials were reckless in demanding more equipment?” Pareno asked.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula wondered what kind of consultation happened between the ministry and the county governments when they delivered equipment to a facility that does not even have a basic nurse to give support service.

“Madam Cabinet Secretary, whom did you consult for to say you consulted? he asked.

“As far as human resource is concerned, doesn't the Ministry of Health deploy personnel?” Wetangula,  the committee vice chairperson, asked.

Sicily told the committee last week that the contract terms of the programme were varied and the amount increased to Sh200 million per county because 21 hospitals were added to the initial list of 98 in the programme.

Yesterday, the CS tabled several letters by governors including by Oparanya requesting the ministry for more equipment.

Oparanya, Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua),  Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and Ali Roba (Mandera) requested for the items.

In a letter dated March 20, 2018, Oparanya requested Deputy President William Ruto to consider including Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital in the MES programme.

“Looking at the success of the implementation of MES programme rolled out by the national government in all the counties, it is our desire to request the inclusion of the KCTRH in the MES programme,” reads the letter.

For Nyandarua, the governor wrote to former Health CS Cleopa Mailu on September 6, 2017, requesting the ministry to expand the MES programme to other facilities within the county.

In Meru, Governor Murungi wrote to the ministry requesting the installation of an ICU facility in Meru Level 5 Hospital.

“As the new governor of Meru county, I hereby request your ministry to install the said ICU facility to the hospital during this financial year,” reads the letter.

Another letter by Taita Taveta Health CEC Gifton Mkaya addressed to Health PS reads, “The purpose of this letter is, therefore, to request you for the provision of ICU equipment, affirm our commitment to remove the asbestos sheets from the building and release the pediatric ward for the use to house the ICU under the MES project.”

However, in Kitui, Governor Charity Ngilu, in a letter dated May 2, 2018, to CS Kariuki, protested the increase of the amount charged to the county from Sh95 million to Sh200 million per year.

Ngilu said that the county was being charged Sh200 million per year when the equipment supplied to her county were only worth Sh331.54 million.

“A review of the list of expected equipment shows that many of the expected equipment under the MES scheme have not been supplied to date. Kindly note that all the laboratory component of the MES was not supplied,” reads the letter dated May 2, 2018.

(edited by O. Owino)