Nakuru County Government has spent close to Sh2 Billion on Health Products and Technologies (HPTs) in the last three years, the Kenyan Medical Supplies Authority has said.
Kemsa Board chairperson, Mary Mwadime said the county government had shown consistency in its procurement having spent Sh389 million in FY2018/2018, Sh406 million in 2019/2020 and another Sh425 million for the Financial Year ending June 2021.
Speaking during a tour of the county, Mwadime who was accompanied by other board members said the county administration had been a valuable partner towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
“From the volumes and analysis of the orders made during the period, there is a consistency in procurement by the county,” she observed.
Mwadime noted that Nakuru County Government had prioritised the healthcare needs of its residents by ensuring that the 194 public health facilities in the region were properly stocked with Essential Medicines and Medical Supplies (EMMS).
“Kemsa wants to do everything to ensure there is always adequate stocks of EMMs, the board’s main goal is to ensure that the authority is adequately stocked to serve all public health facilities,” said Mwadime.
The board which was appointed in April this year is visiting a few customers and areas where the authority has its distribution sites to discuss existing opportunities and challenges with an aim of availing world-class services.
Mwadime explained that Kemsa has put various strategies in place to close all existing stock gaps in the supply chain system.
She however noted that Kemsa was grappling with the lack of absolute quantification hence the need for every county to ensure that they report on consumption to enable precise planning.
The chairperson urged counties to fast-track payment for supplies received from Kemsa to enable it to restock.
During the Nakuru county tour, the board also visited Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital where it was to learn and understand Kemsa’s reach and identify challenges that the facilities at that level are experiencing.
