Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe has directed County Governments to adopt a check-off system to offset their Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) debts.
This he said would ensure at no time shall the county government hospitals have a shortage of drugs and other medical supplies.
Speaking at Nyahururu level 4 hospital, Kagwe said that the money could be deducted from the same way the government settles its conditional grants.
The CS also directed hospitals to retain the money that they have collected either directly or indirectly.
“Money that is sent to hospitals by National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) should ideally be kept in the hospitals and not to be given to administration and then taken for roads.
“Money for health is for health. The chief executive of the hospital and the board of the hospital should be given all the money to run the hospital. Health is a devolved unit and we must ensure that happens,” said Kagwe.
The CS who was on an inspection tour of the hospital visited the drugs store, pediatrics ward and the Mother Child Hospital (MCH) ward.
He promised to ensure Nyahururu level 4 hospital is connected to three phase mode of electricity power so that it could run all the newly acquired machines and the oxygen machine.
He also asked the county government, the Senate and the Controller of Budget to come up with a workable plan to ensure there is never a shortage of essential medicines at the county hospitals.
He insisted that healthcare structure must be one that is multi-agency in approach from KEMSA, NHIF to county hospitals so that Kenyans could benefit holistically.
He also thanked all the health care workers and all stakeholders for the work that they have continued to do and especially during the covid-19 pandemic.
The CS also promised to check on the welfare of the health workers and their pleas.