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"id": 389399,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/389399/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Pukose",
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"legal_name": "Robert Pukose",
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"content": "In the new dispensation and moving forward, the county governments suffer a major stake in the function of procurement and distribution of medicine for county health facilities. However, for harmonious execution of the function between the counties and KEMSA, the Ministry has co-ordinated preparation and operationalization of a workable mechanism. As this is happening, the Ministry has stepped in and mobilized some resources to cater for distribution of medicines by KEMSA to all public health facilities countrywide, which began last month, August, 2013, and this is expected to be completed by mid of October, 2013. The distribution will cushion the health facilities up to December, 2013. The Ministry hopes that by then the new system will have been defined and established by counties, to take over the function. On the second question about what the Ministry was doing to ensure that there is no lapse in terms of availability of medicines; as stated above, the Ministry has mobilized some resource for distribution of drugs to health facilities countrywide in the immediate transition period. Thus, by the time the counties take over the function, after December, 2013, no lapses are foreseen. However, it must be noted that procurement and distribution of medicine is resource intensive and the relevant resources for the function are already devolved. Thus, after December, 2013, the ability of the Ministry to cushion counties effectively against shortage of medicines will be very limited; hence the urgency for counties to take charge in the shortest time possible. To further enhance commodity supply, the Ministry plans to engage and share with counties practices and lessons to ensure that the immediate consequence, after takeover of the function, will not be a decline in commodity supply to health facilities, but an improvement on the existing level of supply. In addition, the Ministry will continue to closely liaise and monitor KEMSA to ensure that it is responsive to a function of medicine supplies in the devolved system. The third question is about whether the supply of free medicines to public medical centres is sustainable in the long-term in respect of the cost; as you are aware, the supply of free medicine in public health facilities is sustainable, subject to progressive reduction of the burden of disease in the population and efficiency of the medicine supply chain. However, it is a big burden to taxpayers. Presently, the annual budgetary allocation for procurement of medicine addresses above 65 per cent of the requirements. Usually, the gap reduces as the overall health budget is increased because the increment goes to procurement of medicines. Presently, the cost of a number of priority medicines for public use like medicine for malaria, anti-retroviral drugs, Tuberculosis medication, contraceptives and vaccines is made from grants by various development partners and charitable international agencies. When the burden is eventually passed over to the Government, it may be a challenge to shoulder it. To bring down the requirement for medicines in the country as well as contain the budget for procurement of medicines from souring and becoming unsustainable, the burden of disease in the Kenyan population, and more so the poor who depend on public health services, has to be brought down and maintained at low levels. Towards this end, the Ministry has invested and will continue to do so substantially in preventive healthcare and promotion of early disease control measures. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}