The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa) is in a race against time to deliver drugs and medical supplies worth more than Sh1.2 billion before their imminent expiry.
The medical supplies, which are locked in various stores of the State agency, have either already expired or are approaching expiry even as public hospitals across the country grapple with shortages of drugs and other key medical supplies.
Kemsa inventory records reviewed by the Business Daily show drugs and other supplies worth about Sh2.5 million have already expired, while the agency has about one month to ensure that others worth an estimated Sh213.4 million reach patients.
Drugs worth an estimated Sh1 billion have a shelf life of only about seven months, which is a relatively short period as per best pharmaceutical practices.
Confidential emails seen by Daily Active show Kemsa invited employees and various stakeholders to Afya House for a crisis meeting to deliberate the short expiry of various drugs and commodities in its warehouses.
“This email is to invite you for a meeting to deliberate on short expiry of HIV lab commodities tomorrow February 2, 2019, at Afya House annex from 10.00 am. Exact boardroom will be communicated. Attached is a list of the above commodities,” reads the email sent to various Kemsa employees.
People who attended the meeting intimated that it was agreed the drugs should be distributed to those in need before expiry while those that have already gone bad would be destroyed. The deliveries, however, are yet to happen as more drugs continue to hit their expiry dates.