The cost of medicines is set to fall as regional faith-based medical suppliers push for joint procurement to enjoy economies of scale. Four drugs suppliers – Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS), Joint Medical Store (JMS) Uganda, Mission for Essential Medicines and Supplies (MEMS) Tanzania and Bureau des Formations Médicales Agrées du Rwanda (BUFMAR) of Rwanda – are in talks geared at forming a pooled procurement partnership that will give them a strong bargaining power with drugs manufacturers.
MEDS Managing Director Paschal Manyuru said this in Nairobi during celebrations to mark MEDS 30th anniversary. “We want to pool our resources and buy medicines and medical supplies in bulk,” he said, “This will reduce the cost through economies of scale and pass the accruing advantage to the patients of these countries.”
All the four organizations supply essential medicines and medical supplies to health facilities in East and Central Africa regions. Mr Manyuru acknowledged that various stakeholders in the supply chain, including the National and County governments, suppliers and other partners, had contributed to MEDS growth over the last three decades.
He also praised its cooperation with county saying it had resulted in win-win partnership since 2013, with the number of counties receiving commodities from MEDS growing to 40. To enhance efficiency and serve the counties better, Mr Manyuru appealed to counties to pay promptly for medical supplies.
“My plea is that when we knock at your doors for payment for commodities delivered please respond promptly the same way we do when you request for commodities from us.”
MEDS, he said, depends on prompt payments from counties and other clients to pay suppliers quickly in order to remain effective.
On September 16, 2016, MEDS supplied Makueni County with medicines and medical supplies worth about Ksh 80 million. Makueni Governor, Prof Kivutha Kibwana noted the importance of prompt payment if service-delivery has to continue effectively without disruptions.
He promised to share with his colleagues at the Council of Governors (CoG) forum the need for timely payments to ensure continuity of supplies. “I will bring to the attention of my colleagues the issue of non-payment (of medicines and medical supplies) in our next Council of Governors meeting if we have to continue receiving steady supply of the needed commodities from both MEDS and Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA),” the Governor said.
He said MEDS had participated in the launch of Universal Healthcare by supplying Makueni with the required medicines and medical supplies, making it the first County in Kenya to offer free medical care to its residents in all its public hospitals.
For his part, MEDS Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Rt. Rev. Paul Kariuki noted that devolution had brought with it new systems of government and this approach has been used in both developing and developed countries to optimize service delivery with great success. “In Kenya, the fundamental goal of devolving healthcare is to increase access to quality healthcare services while controlling the ever-rising costs,” said Bishop Kariuki.
Management of funding in the healthcare, he observed, is a major issue that should be addressed by all parties involved. The function was attended by MEDS Board Members, Senior National and County Government officials, the Pooled Procurement Partners, other stakeholders- Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Astrazeneca, Novatis Sandoz clients, suppliers and service providers.
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