Kemsa ready to supply Community Health Promoters’ kits

Under the Universal Healthcare (UHC) programme that will be launched by President William Ruto on October 20, 2023, the government will deploy 103,000 health promoters across the country. 

Each promoter will be responsible for 100 households and will be equipped with modern medical equipment and deployed in communities across Kenya.

As a result, Kemsa has stocked kits that will be used by the health promoters under the preventive healthcare approach. 

The authority says that the Ministry of Health (MoH) has already procured the kits, and 5,800 more are available to be purchased by County governments. 

A complete kit to be used by the community workers will include the following items; a backpack carrier bag, first aid box, jacket (medium and large), weighing scale, infrared clinical thermometer, muac tape (pediatric) and a mid-upper arm circumference muac tape (adult). 

The health promoters that will be unveiled on Mashujaa Day will be trained by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). 

The government is set to spend Ksh.3.5 billion on the programme that aims at detecting health issues early and managing minor ones at the community level. 

“Our hospitals are full of people with minor ailments, which if managed early will decongest our hospitals,” President Ruto said on the rollout of the programme. 

El Nino Preparedness by Kemsa

With the Kenya Meteorological Department having predicted that Kenya will experience El Nino rains from October to December, Kemsa prepared for an emergency response during the heavy rainfall. 

The authority’s Warehouse Manager Dr.Samuel Okanda says Kemsa’s warehouse operates 24/7 and is always on standby to avail medical supplies whenever there is a health emergency. 

“The emergency team has mapped out emergencies like malaria outbreaks that could be caused by El Nino rains. The emergency department from MOH conducts investigations and will reach out to Kemsa for delivery,” Okanda said. 

In an engagement with editors, Okanda said the authority will also consider re-allocation of resources to take care of emergencies that will emerge from the heavy rains.