NAIROBI, Kenya
Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) has signed a strategic partnership with county governments to increase access to reliable, quality and affordable healthcare services to Kenyans. Under the partnership launched by the Director of Medical Services Dr. Francis Kimani, all the 47 counties will enjoy discounts on drugs from manufacturers based on MEDS procurement in huge volumes and high quality.
Health Cabinet Secretary Prof Fred Segor said MEDS collaboration with county governments would play a major role in the quest for reliable, quality and affordable healthcare for all.
“The role of faith-based health sector in improving healthcare services cannot be ignored, especially in rural and difficult to reach areas,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Kimani. “With its wide geographical reach and devolved distribution network, MEDS has the capacity to ensure equitable and timely delivery of healthcare services to all health facilities in the counties.”
MEDS Managing Director Paschal Manyuru said devolved governance presents a great opportunity to build an effective healthcare system. “MEDS saw the need to engage with the county governments to advance the delivery of reliable, quality and affordable healthcare services to all Kenyans,” he said.
Prof. Segor added that counterfeit drugs continue to take a toll on the health sector in Kenya and warned Kenyans against them. “I urge all Kenyans to avoid purchasing drugs over the counter without prescriptions, and when necessary, to only do so from licensed heath facilities. This dangerous trend has led to numerous complications in health management,” he said.
MEDS has been on the forefront in the fight against counterfeit drugs through testing at its WHO-prequalified Quality Control laboratory. Mr. Manyuru affirmed that MEDS’ efficient supply chain management, stringent quality assurance systems and wide geographical reach would ensure that this partnership impacts the lives of many citizens in the remote parts of the country.
“This is not driven by commercial interests but rather by the faith-based spirit of service in recognising that we can help improve healthcare services to our brothers and sisters in the counties, who for one reason or another are still disadvantaged and struggling with the challenges of third world development,” he said.
Mr. Manyuru added that the uneven distribution of health facilities especially in rural areas has widened disparities in affordability and accessibility of medical care. He noted that 40 percent of Kenyans access healthcare through faith-based facilities that form the bulk of MEDS clientele. MEDS currently serves over 1,800 health facilities across the country.
He said while the government had made efforts towards improving healthcare, providing quality services for all remains a challenge. Quoting the World Health Organization (WHO), he observed from the that Kenya’s health system remains relatively underdeveloped, with an acute shortage of health workers.
“High quality and accessible health services cannot be delivered without sufficient numbers of well-skilled, well distributed, and well-managed health workers,” he said. “An example is the recent introduction of free maternal care services which has strained most government health facilities.”
Meanwhile, MEDS also launched its five-year strategic plan to expand healthcare and ISO 9001:2008 certification. MEDS chairman Michael Sande said this highlights the organisation’s capacity to further contribute to healthcare and ensure the government’s healthcare goals are achieved.
“These milestones not only show the continuous improvement of MEDS medical products and services but also enable it to achieve international recognition as a world class faith-based medical supply chain and capacity building organisation,” said Sande.
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