Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe has urged county governments to adopt a check-off system so that they can clear their ballooning debts owed to the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa).
The system, he said, would help address shortages of drug and other medical supplies at public health facilities.
Mr Kagwe said that devolved units should adopt the same system used by the national government to clear its debts.
“County governments, the Senate and the controller of budget should come up with a workable plan to ensure that the issues of drug shortage at our public health facilities are addressed and there is never a shortage of essential medicines facilities,” said the CS.
The CS, who spoke at Nyahururu County Referral Hospital during an inspection tour, also warned county governments against channelling money meant for health to development projects such as road construction.
He maintained that money sent to hospitals by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) should ideally be kept in the hospitals and not to be used for other purposes.
“Money that is meant for health and that is collected as revenue either directly or indirectly should remain in hospitals and should not be channeled to development projects. The money should remain at the hospitals with hospital managers, administrators and boards to run the hospitals,” he said.
Mr Kagwe regretted that some counties could not clear their Kemsa debts as they were channelling even money meant to buy medical supplies to development.
This is as Kemsa laments that the debts could cripple its operations.
The CS said that critical care equipment in hospitals, some delivered by the national government, remain functional and in good condition.
He promised to ensure that Nyahururu Referral, which serves parts of Laikipia, Baringo, Nyandarua and Nakuru counties, is connected to three-phase electrical power so that it can run all the newly acquired machines and the oxygen plants.
