Health ministry yet to receive Sh800 million container clinics

The Health ministry is yet to formally receive Sh800 million modified containers for mobile clinics, almost one year since they were imported from China.

This is despite the fact that the supplier was paid most of the money.

On Friday, 20 members of the National Assembly's Health Committee visited the National Youth Service Yard at Miritini, Mombasa, where  99 of the ordered 100 containers have been lying, some since December 2015.

A representative from the Ministry of Health who took the MPs through the inspection admitted that the government was yet to officially receive the containers— meaning they are essentially the property of the supplier who has since been paid Sh800 million.

PUT TO TASK

The ministry's Head of  Curative and Rehabilitative Department Izaq Odongo was put to task to explain why the containers were yet to be received.

Dr Odongo said there were some “issues’’ that were still being dealt with before the containers could be received.

“In view of these issues, it will take time to identify sites, prepare and secure the containers, and as a ministry, we decided to have this (NYS) as a holding area as we prepare the sites,’’ he told the committee led Kitui South MP Rachel Nyamai.

SLUM CLINICS

He added: “This is ongoing and once that has been done, the contractor, as obligated, will come and install the various clinics, put in the equipment and as a ministry, we will receive them and inspect, hopefully when they become operational,” said Dr Odongo, adding that assessment of 100 sites had been done.

The clinics, he said, would be taken to slum areas.

Seme MP James Nyikal, a member of the committee, said Dr Odongo's explanation meant the containers were still the supplier's property because they have not been received by the ministry.

MPS DISSATISFIED

“According to the contract, the containers were supposed to be supplied, delivered and installed and that has not been done,” Dr Nyikal, a former permanent secretary for Health, said.

Kathiani MP Robert Mbui questioned why the ministry procured and paid 80 per cent of the amount before assessing the sites.

“There is no value for money. Why did they not look for the land first and train nurses and then procure," he told journalists.

"A lot of members of this committee are disgruntled. We are going to sit and consult over the next move because we have a lot of questions,” he added.

STATE HOUSE

Twenty of the containers were delivered at the yard last December and the other 80 between May and July this year.

A sample was taken to State House in Nairobi.

Ms Nyamai said the committee was still in the process of examining the whole issue, adding that they were yet to see the contract.

During the inspection, she said, they were checking the description and quality of the equipment in the containers.

99 CONTAINERS

“We have confirmed that [there] are 99 containers here and we have checked the equipment as well, according to the list provided by the ministry," she said.

"But now we are telling them to fast-track the installation process so that Kenyans can start benefiting from the clinics,” she added.

The committee, she said, would also ascertain the cost of the equipment at a later date because there were no experts during the Friday inspection.

Further, the MPs said some of the equipment could not be found as they were told that they are stored in other containers, which they could not access on Friday.

ESTAMA PAID

The committee accessed one sample container and embarked on cross-checking the contents from a list provided by the ministry.

At a press briefing in his office in Nairobi on October 30, Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu said Estama Investments supplied all the clinics and up to Sh800 million was paid for them.

“We, hereby, also confirm that the company provided the requisite tax compliance certificate as well as its PIN certificate as required during the procurement process,” he said.

Mr Mailu said the contract to supply the 100 portable clinics was awarded to Estama on July 17, 2015.