The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has registered sustainable improvement in its services for the last one year in performance, accountability, and transparency.
A change of fortunes for the authority that was hit by a series of graft scandals has been influenced by a new board led by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Terry Kiunge Ramadhani.
Ramadhani took over the KEMSA leadership after the suspension of Jonah Manjari over a multi-billion shilling procurement scam.
Speaking in Eldoret, the authority boss said they have put in place systematic changes to reposition KEMSA both in technics of operation and management.
“As an agency, we have put in place automated digitalized machines to fasten the supply of drugs and also ease human labor in the production,” said Ramadhani.
She also noted that KEMSA intends to engage with donors and partners among them Global Fund, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), County Governments, and the Ministry of Health to seek solutions to challenges they have been facing.
“None of us is more deserving than the other. Therefore, everybody has a responsibility to come on board to help streamline the health sector,” said Ramadhan, who further encouraged suppliers and transporters to engage in seeking collaboration to attain an excellent supply chain facility in KEMSA.
Concerning the status of KEMSA employers, the CEO said the agency never sacked any staff but only asked them to work.
“Nobody was sent on compulsory leave. KEMSA only asked employees to work from home in the process to understand the problems in the institution and some contracts may have expired due to the end of their lifespan,” she clarified.
There have been reports of KEMSA sacking at least 900 employees following the Ksh7.8 billion scandal involving the purchase of items for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.