Deputy President William Ruto has promised total overhaul of the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency to end perennial drugs shortages in public hospitals.
Defending governors, Ruto said the frequent shortage of medicines in health facilities in the counties was a result of unnecessary formalities by the agency.
Speaking during a health economic forum in Nairobi on Monday, Ruto said the structure of the supply of the drugs to the counties ought to be streamlined to ensure the health facilities are at all times well stocked.
He said the appointment of two directors by the counties to the authority as part of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council approval didn't solve the problem.
Stakeholders including unions representatives attended the event where they submitted their views.
Ruto said a charter will be signed on how the health sector will be transformed.
Present leaders included Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) and Garissa Township MP Adan Duale among others.
While inadequate personnel was to blame for pitiable operations at the local health facilities, Ruto said as part of the bottom-up approach, Kenya Kwanza seeks to revamp and turn focus on dispensaries.
“If the dispensaries and health centres are working, level four and five hospitals are going to work and offer services effectively because congestion will be reduced,” he said.
Kemsa has been at the heart of a storm among the county chiefs who are accusing it of delays or even failures in the supply of the essentials to its facilities.
Currently, counties are barred from sourcing the drugs and other medical supplies from any suppliers apart from the agency.
The Kemsa 2013 Act, amended in May 2019, introduced a jail term of five years or a penalty of Sh2 million or both for anyone who contravenes the rule.
A bill tabled by nominated Senator Naomi Shiyonga would have given counties a free hand to source the drugs from private suppliers.
Shiyonga said the authority has not been meeting the demands of the counties, only able to supply 60 per cent of the requirements.
“It has constrained the ability of county governments to ensure county health facilities have adequate drugs and medical supplies to effectively and efficiently provide service to Kenyans,” she said.
In reducing hitches related to the supply, the authority unveiled four distribution centres among them Kisumu, Mombasa, Meru and Nairobi.
Ruto criticised the government over its failure to procure a health records system that would have helped eliminate the current paperwork in health facilities as planned.
“We wanted to procure a digital health records system that would not only give us portability of patients’ data but also help us in telemedicine but because of conflict of interest and other things in the last five years it failed,” he said.
Ruto said that community health workers in health facilities would get a stipend.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
