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Kenya: KEMSA Flags Off Sh380 Million Essential Medical Supplies to Counties Ahead of Easter

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4 years ago

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Nairobi — The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has flagged off Sh380 million essential medical supplies to counties ahead of Easter.

According to the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Kabuchi, drought-hit counties in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) will be serviced on a priority basis to provide a suitable cushion for primary health management.

Such counties, he said, will receive nutritional supplements, and rehydration solutions alongside essential medicines.

The Authority, he added, has also stepped up stakeholder engagement efforts led by the KEMSA Board of Directors and Management geared at unlocking the settlement of outstanding dues from several counties valued at more than Sh2.7 billion to boost the national scale of the Universal Health Coverage agenda.

Increased collections from the counties, he said, will also allow KEMSA to fast track pending payments to its suppliers which include local manufacturers.

KEMSA, he said, salutes Kilifi, Nakuru, Laikipia, Nyeri, Meru, West Pokot, Turkana, Kisii and Makueni counties which have no pending bills with the Authority.

“KEMSA has registered a significant improvement in its organisational efficiency that is also highlighted by the improved Order Turn Around Time. Using Information Technology Systems to support organisational agility and simplify business processes, we have reduced the Order Turn Around Time from 46 days in February 2021 to 16 days at the end of February 2022 and automated several functions. By the end of the first quarter, we successfully managed to record a milestone with the dispatch of Program and EMMS supplies amounting to more than Kshs.9.73 billion. The dispatch of more than 32,000 orders was to more than 7,600 health facilities in all 47 counties,” Kabuchi said.

He added, “All the deliveries made to our esteemed County clients are now backed by internal delivery assurance notes generated through the award-winning KEMSA Electronic Proof of Deliveries or e-POD App. The KEMSA e-POD app keeps track of KEMSA last-mile supplies to the respective health facilities.”

As part of Customer Relationship Management, KEMSA, he said, has also stepped-up capacity-building efforts at the county level. The efforts include technical corroboration on operational measures such as improving ordering processes, including inventory management, adherence to quality management and pharmacovigilance.

Several counties are expected to start receiving their medical supplies following the flag off ahead of the Easter holidays.