KEMSA releases medical supplies to support SHIF roll out in counties

Health products including essential medicines, medical supplies and maternal health commodities were flagged off by Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, who said the supplies will support the new healthcare programme. 

“The distributed medical supplies will support the treatment and prevention of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, which continue to affect our communities,” said Barasa. 

“With non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, and cancer on the rise, these products will also play a role in enhancing the management of these conditions at the community level,” she added. 

KEMSA board chairperson Samuel Tunai acknowledge the role of the authority in enabling a smooth transition to the new health fund. He said KEMSA is focused on improving the efficiency of its supply chain and strengthening partnerships with both national and county governments.

“We aim to make health facilities more responsive to local health needs by ensuring that medical commodities are delivered on time and in sufficient quantities,” Tunai said. 

The KEMSA chair also emphasised the need for reforms in the health body, including restructuring of operations, strengthening accountability and improving procurement processes. 

“In the long term, we aim to recapitalize KEMSA to strengthen its financial foundation. This will involve seeking additional funds from development partners and exploring partnerships that will ensure sustainability," added Tunai. 

He also decried lack of funds in the authority due to debts owed by counties. 

“Many counties are struggling to pay for the HPTs they need. To address this, I urge the national government to establish a central account for UHC where funds can be pooled for counties to draw from.”