After months of agony and suffering by patients at the Thika Level 5 hospital, the facility has finally received Kes10 million worth of drugs, much to the relief of residents, patients and local leaders.

The Hospital was almost becoming a shell of its former self as patients were being sent to buy drugs from private pharmacies due to shortages at the facility.

While flagging off the consignment of drugs and non-pharmaceutical supplies at the facility, yesterday, Kiambu County Executive Health Committee Member, Dr Elias Maina, said the drugs will last for a month and that more consignment was on the way.

He attributed the delay in supplies to the stringent procurement procedures at the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa).

Dr Maina warned that any medic found sending patients to buy medicine at private facilities will be dealt with accordingly.

He also warned medics found smuggling drugs from county hospitals to their private clinics, that they will not only be fired but also will face the law.

Dr. Maina urged residents to be vigilant and report such thieves.

“We are clever now and if anyone tries to steal, they will be punished,” warned Dr Maina.

This comes as Kiambu Governor, Kimani Wamatangi, has been insistent that some medics were stealing drugs from the hospitals and selling them, to private facilities or using them at their private clinics.

He warned that the County Government will put CCTV cameras among other measures to nab thieves.

The poor state of the hospital had caused a public outcry among Thika residents led by their MP, Alice Ng’ang’a, who had threatened to hold demonstrations to protest over poor service delivery.

They complained that it had been neglected by the current County Administration despite serving the biggest population in the county.