Relief for patients as Busia procures Sh54m drugs

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority has delivered drugs worth Sh54 million to the county government to end the shortage of medical supplies in public hospitals.

Public hospitals have not had drugs for almost one month, a situation that had been forcing patients to buy drugs from local chemists.

Medical supplies

The last time the devolved unit procured drugs was in July and the supplies only sustained local public hospitals up to September.

Speaking at a news conference yesterday after receiving the drugs at the Matayos drugs stores, the county Supply Chain Management Officer Victor Osaho said distribution of drugs to public hospitals will start next week.

“Drugs will be delivered to hospitals using county government vehicles accompanied by a medical officer. The security officer at the gate will take the details of the vehicle and consignment before they are offloaded,” said Osaho.

According to Osaho, patients seeking medication at the Busia County Referral Hospital had gone up from 120 per day to 130 while at the Kocholia Sub-county Hospital in Teso North the number had increased from 40 to 80 per day.

“We are receiving patients from across the border in Uganda and this has impact on supplies because the drugs we give hospitals are finished before the projected time,” said Mr Osaho.

Private chemists

It is believed that some government officers in public hospitals also steal the drugs and sell them to private chemists.

It is against this backdrop that the supply officer disclosed that measures have been put in place to stop the vice.

Meanwhile, the county has factored in the 2019/20 supplementary budget some Sh202 million for purchase of drugs.