Governors want contracts for the Managed Equipment Services reviewed before they can be renewed.
The Council of Governors Health Committee has been holding a retreat under the theme ‘Stepping up Stakeholders Engagement for Accelerated Universal Health Coverage’ with representatives of key stakeholders and partners including the Ministry of Health.
"That there is need to review the conditions set by CoG before renewal of contracts and address Article 187 requirements on intergovernmental agreements," CoG said in a statement.
In February, governors set tough conditions for the extension of the seven year Sh63 billion MES project as the contract is supposed to end on various dates between December 2022 and May 2023.
The COG proposed the MES contractors deliver on all their obligations under each contract and address the negatives observed in the implementation of the contracts attributed to them.
The CoG and MoH shall review and consider modalities to compensate counties whose equipment were not delivered but fully paid for.
“The CoG is alive to the urgent need to fast track review of unbundling of health functions, review health policies and legislation, reorganise structures for delivery of capacity building for counties in all health system investment areas,” they said in a statement.
Under the MES project arrangement, this arrangement ensures public hospitals access modern health infrastructure, equipment or services over an agreed period, with the government making regular, pre-arranged payments based on agreed performance parameters.
The programme entails leasing assorted medical gadgets to select national and county government hospitals for seven years ending this year.
The renal, laboratory, ICU radiology and theatre equipment were leased to at least two level 4 hospitals in each of the 47 counties.
The ministry and governors also agreed to establish a taskforce to look at the transition of the staff before the expiry of their contracts. This is to ensure continuity of service delivery by the staff.
