Senators raise concerns over opaque medical equipment deal worth billions

Senators have raised concerns on the alleged overreach by the national government and the secrecy in which a deal worth billions was signed by counties to lease medical equipment to be used in implementation of the Social Health Authority (SHA).

This is after Council of Governors (CoG) National Deputy Mutahi Kahiga admitted to having signed the deal, telling the Senate Public Accounts Committee that they had no option but to do so because counties do not have the money to buy the equipment.

Kahiga told the committee that so far 34 county governments have signed the deal, although they have no idea what companies they will be getting equipment from or how they were procured.

“We did not procure the machines, it’s the Ministry of Health that did the procurement, they even put the advertisement in the newspapers. We were not involved,” he told the Senator Moses Kajwang-led committee.

“What they have done is to set 23 lots of equipment, so you pick a lot that you think is required for your specific hospital, after picking is when you know the providers. But whoever selected them, that was a program decided by the national government, we are just landlords.”

Kahiga told the committee that most counties had no option but to sign the deal because most of the medical machines in counties were bought under the Medical Equipment Scheme (MES).

He said they made the decision in goodwill as they wanted to ensure that patients in counties continue getting medical services.

“Currently dialysis machines are not working in the county government hospitals because the equipment that were provided under MES has run its course, anyone that is being put in those machines is risking his life,” Kahiga stated.

However, Senators castigated the CoG for accepting the national government to claw back on the functions that have already been devolved to counties, questioning if the deal is legal.

“What law are you using to sign the contract, did you consult your attorney before signing?” Charged Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah.

“Don’t be defensive, because we want to assign the problem on the right level. We want to tell the ministry you can’t procure for county governments, that you can’t do business with people’s health and people’s lives,” stated Kajwang.

Kahiga told the committee that they were driven by the need to provide affordable healthcare to Kenyans, although he admitted that they have their own fears.

“What I must admit here is that we have rushed this thing, we are too fast and we might crash along the way. I don’t want to say this is the best deal, I even don’t know if it will work,” he said.

According to the intergovernmental participation agreement, after the counties chose the equipment needed, the service providers will equip the machines in hospitals and run them, as they charge the National Insurance Authority for the services given.