Digital platform to reduce medicine theft in 15 counties

KISUMU, KENYA: Fifteen counties in Western Kenya have pledged to use a new digital platform availed by the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) to help fight drug theft cartels, being  blamed  for shortage in health facilities.

County health pharmacists from the counties which include Kisumu, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia,Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisii, Nyamira, Migori, Kericho, Bomet and Narok  said the e-mobile application will seal loopholes exploited by cartels to divert supplies.

The medical Supplies Agency has started training pharmacists across the Country on the digital platform.

Kisumu County Executive for Health Elizabeth Ogaja, a former Kemsa employee, spoke for the pharmacists. She said the new system will integrate the system into their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERPs) to monitor drug movement all the way to specific healthcare facilities.

"The paper based model left room for a lot of tampering that could go unnoticed," she said, "That is why we want to also integrate the system into our ERPs so that we can lock out drug theft cartel."

She said the digital system will also enable them track essential drugs requirement, therefore enabling to duly replenish stocks at specific health facilities where stocks have gone low.

Drugs shortage has from time to time hit major hospitals across the country, with some drugs meant for hospitals being sold in chemists. Patients are forced to buy even the essential drugs in what has been read as collusion between medical practitioners and chemists and pharmacists.

"With this new platform, we can competently track preventable and non-communicable diseases across the counties, giving us ample time to plan for restocking and supply to the facilities," Ogaja said.

She said: "We are working on digitization of hospitals and health centers so that our monitoring trickles down to the grassroots for better services. We also plan to train community health workers on how they can link with us, all as part of efforts to make healthcare seamless down to the individual citizen."

She added that the e-mobile application will help the counties in tracking requirement for the essential drugs.

The minister further said the new system will significantly boost efforts to eliminate maternal and child deaths that arise out of lack of drugs or equipment. She said they will effectively handle specific maternity needs.

The counties further pledged to use the digital platform to strengthen the fight against non-communicable diseases.

Ogaja said they will employ e-mobile application to monitor specific drug requirements by tracking how much drugs are used in the treatment of Non- Communicable diseases (NCDs).