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Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko (left) and Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki launch the World Breastfeeding Week at Pumwani Hospital on August 2, 2018. PHOTO | COURTESY
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City Hall has allocated Sh384 million to the payment of a debt owed to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).
The figure is contained in Nairobi’s 2018/2019 supplementary budget estimates that were adopted by the assembly during a special sitting last week.
TUSSLE
The county and the State agency have long tussled over a reported Sh285 million debt that at some point saw Kemsa threaten to stop supplies to health facilities.
The county started settling the debt by making a payment of Sh58 million in August and Sh25 million in October.
As at December, however, budget committee chairman Robert Mbatia reported that City Hall owed Kemsa Sh384 million.
He said that as the county settles the debt, the recurrent expenditure share will cater for the agency’s continued supply of drugs to health facilities.
ALLOCATIONS
According to the supplementary budget, the health sector will receive an extra Sh750.2 million, Sh66.2 million of which will be for Pumwani Maternity Hospital’s recurrent operations and Sh300 million for stalled projects.
Mr Mbatia said the facility will get another Sh133.3 million from funds allocated to 17 health projects, which have been deferred to 2019/20 financial year.
From the amount, Sh80 million will be channelled to the rehabilitation of the hospital and Sh23.5 million to a power upgrade.
The upgrade is to a three-phase system in maternity units as well as other health centres.
A sum of Sh29.8 million will be used to buy, install and commission electronic medical records (EMR) software and information, communication and technology infrastructure in the county.
Mr Mbatia said donors and partners interested in the project to refurbish Pumwani insisted that the county should chip in, hence the increment in allocations.
CRISIS
In September, Pumwani was on the spot after Governor Mike Sonko made an impromptu visit and found the bodies of 11 bodies wrapped in polythene bags for lack of a cold room.
The governor subsequently promised major renovations including equipping the neo-natal intensive care unit and the maternal high dependency unit.
Mr Sonko also said a satellite transfusion centre would be set up to minimise referrals to Kenyatta National Hospital.
He further said a solar lighting and heating system would be installed to lessen dependency on electricity and for nursing mothers to always have hot water in their bathrooms.
In November, acting health executive Charles Kerich said the hospital had finally been equipped with a cold room, a new oxygen plant and a modern surgical unit for deliveries.
He also announced the addition of delivery wards with at least 100 beds to ease congestion.