City Hall will instal a Sh40 million online Hospital Management Systems in its four county hospitals to monitor drug usage and
prevent theft.
Sometimes medical personnel lie that drugs are out of stock and send patients to ‘friendly’ private pharmacies, where prices are higher and they(medical personnel) get a cut.
The new setup will systematically collect data and monitor stocks of medicine and supplies.
It will also track inpatient and outpatient records.
The system will be installed in Mbagathi, Pumwani, Mutuini and Mama Lucy hospitals.
Acting Health executive Charles Kerich said Sh40 million from the recently passed supplementary budget has been set aside for the project.
“It will keep track of how medicine is used on a daily basis,” Kerich told the Star.
BEST SYSTEM FOR BEST PRICE
The digital system will alert hospital management to which drugs are running low so they can purchase more in time. The current system lacks that advance-alert capacity.
“The current system could sometimes alert us when medicine is already out of stock,” Kerich said.
With the new system, however, every time medicine is dispensed, it will be subtracted from the stock list.
Last week, Mbagathi Hospital made headlines after it ran out of drugs. Patients, especially those admitted, were forced to buy medicine from private chemists.
Kerich said by June, at least two hospitals will have the system to monitor medicine, medical supplies and patient records.
The county will put the system out to tender and decide on the best system for the best price, he said.
DEBT TO SUPPLIER
The county will meet the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) to agree on how to consistently supply to the four hospitals.
Sometimes hospitals get big batches of essential and non-essential drugs and supplies but when they run out, they are unable to swiftly get the essential ones.
“We want to ensure we work together so medicine does not run out, sometimes leading to life-threatening situtions,” Kerich said.
During the meeting, Kemsa and the county are also expected to agree on regular payments to clear the county’s outstanding debt of around Sh300 million.
“We are engaging Kemsa to discuss the debt and agree on steady supplies. We want to consistently pay them a small amount, about Sh30 million every month,” the executive said.
Kemsa had stopped supplying drugs in February 2017 over a Sh285 million debt. Governor Sonko last year in July paid Sh58 millon, leaving Sh227 million.
Kemsa resumed the supply in August, dispensing drugs worth Sh146 million to county hospitals.
The supplementary budget allocated Sh384 million to pay forthcoming bills.