Taita Taveta receive Sh70 million drugs from Kemsa
Moi County Referral Hospital pharmacist, Dr Stephen Walunywa shows available drugs at the facility's store in Voi, Taita Taveta County.
For many months now, residents seeking medical care in public health facilities in Taita Taveta County have reported a shortage of drugs, a situation that has forced them to turn to private chemists to purchase medicine.
Despite the denial of the shortage by county government officials, those who spoke to Nation.Africa said they were being sent to buy drugs in private pharmacies.
Speaking in Shelemba, Mwatate sub-county, while flagging off a Sh70 million consignment of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical commodities to the Centralised Drugs Store in Wundanyi, Governor Granton Samboja said his government had put enough measures to improve health care in the county.
The governor blamed the situation on cartels that he said were out to sabotage service delivery in the facilities.
He accused unscrupulous health workers of sending patients to private chemists instead of dispensing drugs from the hospital pharmacies.
The governor warned health workers against collaborating with chemists by sending patients to purchase the drugs instead of giving them the available medicine.
"There are enough drugs in our stores so no one should be told to buy drugs from chemists. There are good health workers but, unfortunately, some are colluding with private pharmacies to their benefit," he said.
He warned that those found culpable will face disciplinary actions including losing their jobs.
Mr Samboja said the situation has led to many residents suffering due to the high cost of drugs at private chemists.
"Many residents are passing through tough times due to the ongoing drought and hard economic situation. No one should be sent to buy medicine outside our health facilities," he told Shelemba residents in Mwatate sub-county.
Last year, the county government set up the Wundanyi centralised drugs store to track usage of medicine and curb theft of medicine which was rife in facilities.
The health department had also reported that there was drug wastage in health facilities due to the lack of a tracking system to monitor the usage of drugs in facilities.
"From now henceforth, if we notice any loss of drugs we will take those in charge responsible," he said.
County executive for Health John Mwakima said health facilities will no longer face shortages, noting that the department has put in place measures to address the situation.
He said the drugs that were supplied by Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) will be distributed to health facilities across the county. He said another consignment was expected from Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (Meds).
"The consignment consists of drugs that were not available at Kemsa. We will no longer face this situation again," he said.
Counties now have the freedom to outsource drugs and other non-pharmaceutical supplies following a court ruling to end Kemsa's monopoly to supply medicine.
Taita-Taveta has been facing a persistent shortage of drugs in its facilities due to delayed delivery by Kemsa and huge debts that forced the authority to deny the county medicine. Currently, the county owes Kemsa Sh40 million.
