Ruto rolls out new medical equipment leasing plan

President William Ruto is set to launch a multi-billion shilling medical equipment leasing initiative for select national and county hospitals today.

The President’s National Equipment Support Programme (NESP) will replace the controversial Managed Equipment Services (MES) scheme.

 The Star has confirmed that the President will flag off the distribution of the equipment to health facilities, marking the official rollout of the new programme.

 All 47 governors have been invited to the event at the State House from 10 am.

 Suppliers have already delivered the equipment to selected hospitals, with installation currently underway.

 This follows the signing of an agreement between the Ministry of Health and all 47 governors, allowing for deployment and setup in the counties.

 Medical teams from the ministry and county governments conducted feasibility assessments to determine the specific needs of each facility.

 “Unlike MES, this programme has undergone feasibility studies and each county submitted a list of equipment they require,” a governor told the Star.

 Under the new model, vendors will supply, install, maintain and upgrade the medical equipment at no upfront cost to counties. Payments will be made based on the Fee-for-Service (FFS) model.

 The FFS model allows contracted vendors to provide equipment and related services without requiring advance payments.

 Instead, the national government reimburses vendors based on pre-agreed service tariffs.

 This approach is expected to free up county resources for patient care while ensuring equipment is properly managed and maintained.

 NESP will provide a wide range of modern, specialised medical technologies to public hospitals, including equipment for operating theatres, central sterile services departments, rental units, ICUs and radiology departments.

 Private-sector providers will handle delivery and support.

 The MES programme, launched under the previous administration, was heavily criticised. Governors said they were coerced into signing contracts without being consulted on the specific needs of their facilities.

 As a result, much of the equipment delivered under MES remained unused due to lack of infrastructure, electricity or trained personnel.

 “We signed it under duress because the pressure was too much. When I signed it, I didn’t even want to read it because the equipment was already there—they were delivered on a Saturday night,” former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said.

 The Ministry of Health says NESP is designed to provide consistent access to medical equipment across the country, building on lessons learned from MES.

 On Tuesday, Sunview Medipro International, one of the contractors under NESP, launched Phase 1 of a large-scale equipment installation initiative.

 The company is deploying 98 diagnostic Imaging CT scan machines, two diagnostic imaging mammogram machines, 400 operating theatres and 400 laboratories.

 Sunview Medipro has partnered with globally recognized manufacturers, including GE, Fuji, and United Imaging, to deliver high-end equipment. Additional deliveries are scheduled over the next eight to 10 weeks.

 “Our integrated approach ensures healthcare providers receive seamless support throughout the process,” said Sirat Amin, CEO of Sunview Medipro, during the flag-off at the company's Nairobi headquarters.

He said the initiative includes not just delivery, but also installation, training, maintenance, spare parts supply and ongoing consultation to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality healthcare.

 Installations are already underway at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (Kisumu), King Fahd Lamu County Referral Hospital, Kerugoya County Referral Hospital and Wajir County Referral Hospital.

 Council of Governors Principal supply chain officer James Kamau said the first phase will prioritise Level 5 and other key referral hospitals.

 “With the FFS model in place, public health facilities can now deliver high-end medical services without heavy capital costs,” Kamau said.

 “This will save counties millions in maintenance expenses, funds that can instead be used to hire more health workers and procure essential supplies.”

 The upgraded facilities are also expected to facilitate reverse referrals—patients who would typically travel to national referral or private hospitals will now access comparable care within their counties.

This development aligns with the government's Universal Health Coverage agenda by supporting one-stop, high-quality and free healthcare services at the county level.

 To maximise the benefits of these upgrades, county governments are urged to fast-track registration with the Social Health Authority.

 This will ensure that no patient—especially expectant mothers or critically ill individuals—is denied treatment due to inability to pay.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

 Through the FFS, suppliers invest in and place medical equipment in county health facilities at no upfront cost but will be paid a fee for services rendered. SHA is the mandated agency to reimburse facilities for the gazetted tariff amounts. The model allows for vendors to supply, maintain and upgrade state-of-the-art equipment at no upfront cost to county health facilities, hence enabling counties to focus resources on patient care.