Ruto: Government to prioritise purchase of medical supplies from local manufacturers

By Peter Ochieng

The government will prioritise purchase of medical supplies from local manufacturers to support the sector’s growth, president William Ruto said on Wednesday.

Speaking in in Syokimau, Machakos County, during the opening of Missions for Essential Drugs (M)EDS Microbiology Laboratory, the Head of State said local manufacturing is essential in success of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

“Local manufacturing is essential to Universal Health Coverage; lowering the cost of drugs and medical supplies will make it sustainable, affordable and make it work for everybody,” noted Ruto.

He said his administration will work with the private sector, in a bid to actualise Universal Health Coverage, adding that his government will support the pharmaceutical sector to strengthen its local manufacturing capacity.

Ruto said the government has adopted advanced technology to curb corruption and the wastage of healthcare resources, adding that technology will also enhance the transparency and accountability in the National Social Health Insurance Fund (NSHIF), formerly The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).

“Use of technology will help us deal with fake claims and pilferage and make sure Kenya gets value for every penny that they contribute.”

MEDS Microbiology is a state-of-the-art, World Health Organisation pre-qualified laboratory that will serve and advance healthcare in Kenya and the region.

The initiative aims to reduce the country's annual imports bill by Sh76 billion, elevate export earnings, generate more job opportunities, and foster long-term economic growth.

The facility is one of the two WHO prequalified quality control laboratories in Kenya, and marks the world's first faith-based WHO prequalified laboratory.

The laboratory excels in physicochemical testing of pharmaceutical products, microbiological testing of health products, examination of medical devices, provision of training, and the distribution of testing laboratory consumables.

It was established through an ecumenical partnership between the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK).