The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) board of directors has committed to reassess the pricing of health products and technologies to make them more affordable.
In a scheduled visit to Kilifi, Taita Taveta county, the chair of the board Ms. Mary Mwadime observed that while the current pricing is fair, it could be better priced to meet the needs of more Kenyans.
During the visit, Taita Taveta Deputy Governor Ms. Delia Mlagui raised concerns on stock availability and its impact on healthcare delivery. Ms. Mwadime in turn repeated her calls for KEMSA debtors to settle pending bills as soon as possible in order to cover the Ksh. 6 billion the authority is owed.
“Once counties settle their bills, we will be able to sustain normal operations even as we focus on the reforms we are making to make KEMSA a center of excellence. We are targeting to hit 90% order fill rate to facilitate availability of HPTs in health facilities,” explained Ms. Mwadime.
In a bid to form stronger ties with county governments and understand the challenges counties face with KEMSA services, the KEMSA Board of Directors has been visiting different counties. Some of the counties visited include Kisumu, Nyamira, Kisii and Uasin Gishu. in a bid to understand the challenges counties are facing with KEMSA services.
Ms. Mwadime further stated that the board is keen on tailoring the Authority’s services to effectively respond to customers’ needs. She further explained that they are scaling up organizational turn-around efforts to provide a solid foundation for the uptake of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The Taita Taveta government challenged the Authority to get its house in order to be able to deliver the expected quality and quantity of HPTs that is required by the residents.