Nyamira County government is set to distribute drugs worth Sh43 million to hospitals in the county.
Speaking during the launching event on Thursday, Deputy Governor, Amos Nyaribo said the county government will ensure its residents get medication at a subsidised price but those who will be getting medication on minor illness will get the service for free.
The deputy governor warned health officers against engaging in corruption saying whoever found selling drugs to patients will be held culpable.
“The drugs will go to our county hospitals, sub-county hospitals, health centres and dispensaries. We therefore ask our residents to get medication in public hospitals free of charge. However, those health officers who will be found selling the drugs to patients risk losing their jobs,” he said.
Nyaribo also told health officers to ensure that deserving cases in the community get the first priority during the allocation of free medication since a good number in the county live in abject poverty that makes it difficult for them to meet medication costs.
He claimed some of the drugs that were donated by Senator Kennedy Mong’are Okong’o to various hospitals in the county had expired and will be destroyed.
However, Senator Okong’o denied the allegations saying the drugs will expire after a period of three months.
“That is just politics. I bought the drugs at a cost of more than Sh2 million because I realised there was dire need of medication in our hospitals. Children and even adults die of malaria due to lack of malaria medication and anti-biotics. I intervened because the county government was asleep. The issue of the drugs I bought having expired is total politics because most of them have a life span of three months,” said Okong'o.