Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) has dismissed claims that it is faced with a shortage of essential medicines.
Kemsa Chief Executive Officer Terry Ramadhani said the agency has been effectively addressing arising shortages of the drugs.
Essential medicines include antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), cancer drugs and medicine for treating tuberculosis.
“We have all essential products in our warehouse. After we receive them, whatever was brought in goes. We assure counties that there are essential medicines which we will continue to supply,” she said.
“Even today, there are drugs that came in but they were not there yesterday.”
She noted that counties had sought other avenues of sourcing for drugs but have since gone back to Kemsa.
She made the remarks on Tuesday when she hosted the media for a tour of its new warehouse in Embakasi, Nairobi.
Kemsa has continued to digitise the way it runs stocks and inventory as part of the reforms to ensure efficiency and transparency in its operations.
The agency is mandated with the procurement, warehousing and distribution of drugs and medical supplies for prescribed public health programs, the national strategic stock reserve, prescribed essential health packages and national referral hospitals.
In January, Kemsa released a consignment of condoms to at least 10 counties across the country.
The more than 265 boxes were sent to 50 facilities in Kisumu, Mombasa, Kisii, Nairobi, Lamu, Siaya, Turkana, Kiambu, Kilifi, Malindi, Samburu, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia and Baringo counties.
Dismissing shortage fears, Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Wafula said that there is no condom shortage in the country adding that the country has 38 million pieces of condoms.
In February, Nairobi county hospitals received their first batch of drugs after a three-year dry spell.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja flagged off the health products and other supplies from KEMSA worth Sh244 million, which will be distributed to all the health facilities within the County.
The distribution of the consignment was actualized by negotiations and settlement of Kemsa's debt of Sh185.1 million.
