Kemsa denies supplying expired drugs
Kenya Medical Supplies Authority acting chief executive officer Fredrick Wanyonyi speaks to a Nation reporter during the Senate Health Committee's induction at Flamingo By PrideInn Beach Resort and Spa, Mombasa, on March 23, 2018. The agency said it does not supply expired drugs. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Wanyonyi said there is no way expired drugs can end up in the market.
Senators on Thursday put the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) to task over allegations that some of their employees have been colluding with rogue traders to supply expired drugs to the market.
But while appearing before the Senate Health committee, Kemsa acting chief executive officer Fredrick Wanyonyi denied that the agency has been supplying expired drugs to hospitals across the country.
“I want to assure the public that Kemsa has never supplied expired drugs and such reports are erroneous and misleading,” Mr Wanyonyi told the committee.
“We have not received any complaint from the counties or any health facility that the drugs we supplied them have expired,” he added.
Mr Wanyonyi told the senators that their procurement system is efficient and foolproof and there is no way expired drugs can end up in the market.
He said Kemsa does not supply drugs that have a shelf life of below 75 per cent.
Auditor-General Edward Ouko, in a report tabled in the National Assembly last week, said that Kemsa could not explain why it stocked expired drugs yet hospitals countrywide were facing shortages.
The Kemsa officials will on Tuesday appear again before the committee.
