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{
    "id": 345854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/345854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "other",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Bill is intended to align the medical supplies agency to the new constitutional order. Prior to the new Constitution, healthcare services were the prerogative of the national Government. The new Constitution has shared these functions between the national and county governments. Under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, the national Government is in charge of health policy and national referral facilities. The county government is in charge of county health facilities. The legal framework needs to be reviewed to be in tandem with the Constitution in that respect. Secondly, the former Constitution did not recognize the economic and social rights of the citizens. Article 43 of the new Constitution recognizes the right of every person to have the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to healthcare services such as reproductive healthcare. The legal framework needs to be reviewed to provide for the progressive realization of this right. This right cannot be attained without ensuring an effective and sustained system of procurement, warehousing and distribution of healthcare commodities. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, due to the importance and sensitive role of medical commodities in provision of healthcare, most nations in our region, both East and Central Africa, have specific laws providing for procurement, storage and distribution of medical commodities. The Medical Stores Department of Tanzania which is the equivalent of our KEMSA is created by an Act of Parliament. This is so with the entire East and Central Africa countries, except Kenya. The law creates specific bodies that procure, store and distribute medical commodities to public facilities. In Uganda, for example, even private facilities are allowed to procure medical commodities from a supplies agency similar to our KEMSA. The Bill seeks to also align our supplies agency to our Vision 2030. Vision 2030 looks at where our public facilities will be getting supplies of health commodities at our facilities at affordable quality and affordable prices. As I conclude, Clause 4 of the Bill provides for the functions of the Authority which shall be to procure, warehouse and distribute medical supplies. Clause 6 of the Bill empowers the authority to enter into association and partnership with other bodies within and outside Kenya in furtherance of the performance of its functions. On the efficiency and management of medical products and supplies, the current requirements and process for composition of the agency, the agency is run by the board whose composition and leadership does not emphasize merit. The Bill seeks to create a board of directors for the authority and expressly provides for competitive recruitment of the members of the board and its chair, as well as setting the minimum academic and proffessional qualifications. This is expected to improve professionalism in the running of the affairs of the authority. Clause 18 seeks to lay down the principles that the authority ought to use in carrying out its functions. The authority shall put in place measures to ensure maximum efficiency, efficacy, safety and shall apply sound commercial principles in procurement, storage and distribution of medical supplies."
}