The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has confirmed its round the clock corporate readiness to dispatch Covid-19 related medical supplies to all counties once orders are placed.
According to the Kemsa acting CEO Edward Njoroge, the Authority has constituted a Covid-19 management Rapid Response Team to ensure the efficient supply of Physical Protective Equipment (PPE), among other medical supply items.
As directed by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Friday, Njoroge confirmed that the Authority is well placed to respond to the immediate health facilities needs for Covid-19 management.
Working round the clock, the Covid-19 Rapid Response team at Kemsa, he said, is banking on information technology systems to ensure speedy order fulfilment to more than 8,000 health facilities countrywide.
“At Kemsa, we can confirm that we have a rapid response team to ensure that all orders placed with us by our clients from all the 47 counties are speedily processed and delivered. Our Covid-19 Rapid Response team is ensuring efficient order management through our Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) and the KEMSA e-mobile information technology solutions,” Njoroge said.
He said Kemsa has already optimized its distribution system to ensure doorstep delivery at all health facility levels nationally.
The Authority has decentralized its distribution channel into four zones to enhance service delivery by reducing turnaround time.
“All the distributions zones have been suitably equipped and resourced to ensure that they can guarantee similar service levels to that provided from our Nairobi central warehouses.
"To address the Covid-19 challenges, at KEMSA, the board, management and staffing force are committed to achieving excellence in procurement, warehousing, and distribution of quality, affordable Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) to the public health facilities,” Njoroge explained.
Through the decentralized system, KEMSA’s Kisumu distribution zone serves nineteen counties.
Mombasa serves six counties, and Meru serves 11 counties in the Northern frontier, with other counties served from the Nairobi central stores.
