Relief as Taita Taveta dropped from Kemsa blacklist
By KNA, March 17, 2023In 2020, Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) blacklisted Taita-Taveta County Government for failure to pay millions of shillings for drugs and pharmaceutical products supplied to hospitals in the region.
This meant the county could not get drugs and other medical products from the agency. The move came after Kemsa concluded the county was unwilling to clear a staggering debt of Sh89 million for drugs supplied on credit.
The blacklisting triggered an unprecedented crisis in the health sector. A severe shortage of drugs gripped the county with thousands of patients being forced to purchase expensive drugs from private chemists. Others who required specialised treatment were referred to hospitals outside the county while critical departments like maternity reportedly run out of basic items like gloves, antiseptic and cotton wool putting the lives of expectant mothers and infants in great danger.
Gifton Mkaya, Health CEC says the county is making progress in regaining its creditworthiness with Kemsa. “We have made efforts to repair our image, mend our relations and get back to Kemsa’s good books,” he says. Amongst the efforts the county has made include making payments of over Sh60 million to clear the Kemsa bill. Senior county officials have also held several meetings with the Kemsa team to mend the tattered relations between the two entities.