Susan Nakhumicha, the Cabinet Secretary for Health, has promised Kenyans that medical supplies will be available at all local hospitals.
During an interview on Citizen TV, the health CS said that the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) reforms will solve the shortage of medical equipment currently experienced at local hospitals.
"We have a strategy. KEMSA has been repaired. We solicited tenders for around Ksh.5 billion. Almost half of those tenders were reserved for local vendors. "By collaborating with local manufacturers, we will reduce product turnaround time and cost," Nakhumicha explained.
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According to Irungu Nyakera, the KEMSA chair, one of the improvements implemented to increase the authority's effectiveness is closing loopholes in procurement procedures.
In an interview with editors on Wednesday, Nyakera stated that the Ksh.7.8 billion fraud regarding the procurement of COVID-19 equipment had harmed KEMSA. It created a poor image, causing the authority to lose potential partners.
With numerous counties receiving medical supplies from KEMSA, Muthomi Njuki, chair of the Council of Governors' (CoG) Health Committee, asks for cooperation between counties and the authority.
In a similar conversation with editors, Njuki advocated for an integrated ERP system to enhance openness and accountability in KEMSA's procurement of medical goods.
He asked KEMSA to establish facilities in counties to boost efficiency and cut turnaround time for medical equipment delivery.
With multiple counties receiving medical supplies from KEMSA, Njuki asked the organization to perform market research to stay current on medical technology.
