Drug shortage cripples Kenyan hospitals

Patients in some public hospitals are buying medicines from private pharmacies due to a countrywide drug shortage in government health institutions.

The disclosure comes a day after Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said he was in discussions with the Treasury for the release of between Sh500 million and Sh1 billion required by health centres to stock adequate drugs.

On Wednesday, public hospitals countrywide were concerned by the shortage, saying they had to devise ways of getting drugs for poor patients.

Coast General Hospital deputy administrator David Mwangi said they had resorted to cost-sharing, even on expensive drugs that were beyond the reach of poor patients.

“The shortage is as a result of slow supply and we do not know when the situation will improve,” said Dr Mwangi.

Provincial director of medical services Maurice Simiyu said the problem was being experienced “across the board”.

“We prescribe drugs and ask the patients to buy them. But if the patients lack money to purchase the drugs, we use our reserves to buy them,” said Dr Simiyu.

The drug shortage, he said, had gone on for about two years as the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) was dogged by controversy over procurement and supply of drugs to government medical institutions. He said the newly appointed Kemsa board had started its fact-finding mission on the acute drug shortage.

In Busia and Butula district hospitals, the high number of patients had depleted drug stocks. Acting medical officer of health Ambrose Fwamba said that the districts had received some drugs and were expecting another consignment in March.

“We have received some drugs but due to high demand, the current stock is not enough to last until March. We hope that something is done immediately to avert the crisis,” said Mr Fwamba.

Private pharmacies

In Kakamega, the Provincial General Hospital which serves as a referral institution for Western Province is also facing a shortage of medicine. The situation is the same in dispensaries, health centres and sub-district hospitals in the province.

Patients, including those on anti-retroviral treatment, are being referred to private pharmacies.

“The situation is grim and unless something is done urgently to help the save the lives of patients who cannot afford to pay for the drugs, things could get worse,” said a nurse who preferred not to be named.

In Nyanza, provincial director of medical services Ojwang’ Lusi said they were using money collected from patients to buy drugs but it was not enough.

The Kitale District Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Maurice Wakwabubi, said they only had drugs to deal with minor ailments.

At Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, suppliers have threatened to stop the delivery of drugs due to unpaid debts. The hospital owes drug suppliers about Sh75 million.

A source at the hospital said the funds from the Treasury were not enough to meet the needs of the second biggest referral hospital in the country after Nairobi’s Kenyatta National Hospital.

Stop deliveries

“We have had suppliers stop deliveries due to non-payment and we are appealing for government intervention,” he said. Hospital director Harun Mengech could not be reached for comment.

In Nyeri, Central Provincial director of medical services Gichuyia M’Riara said that Kemsa had only supplied enough drugs for 60 per cent of the region’s needs, resulting in a serious shortage, especially in outpatient sections.

On Wednesday, Kemsa acting director John Munyu attributed the shortage to inadequate funding by the Health ministry.

“The supply of essential drugs has remained low because we received only half of the amount of money that we required,” said Dr Munyu.

Reports by Gitonga Marete, Ouma Wanzala, Abiud Ochieng, Benson Amadala, Peter Ng’etich, Muchiri Karanja and Mike Mwaniki