A section of hospitals in Kisumu County will continue to grapple with lack of essential equipment such as Rapid Disease Test kits until the end of this month. The kits are essential in carrying out malaria tests. 

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In a phone interview with Hivisasa on Monday, Kisumu County Director for Communications Atieno Otieno admitted that the County is aware that most hospitals in the county lack the essentials, which she said are supposed to be supplied by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA).

“It is true we are out of stock. The tender for supply of the kits was advertised by KEMSA in February and closed in March this year. The kits are supplied by KEMSA and up to now we are waiting for them to do so”, she said.

A call to KEMSA offices in Nairobi came with a promise of the kits being availed to affected hospitals by end of this month.

“Unfortunately even us we are out of stock. We are expecting them maybe at the end of this month from our suppliers. When the kits come, we will supply them with immediate effect,” responded Philip Murunga, who introduced himself as KEMSA Customer Service Analyst.

Last week, Magnum Environmental Network Chairman Michael Otieno Nyaguti urged the government to supply the kits for effectively medical delivery.

“It is upon the county government to ensure that they purchase these things because they are key items that can help fight malaria in the community. We have several malaria incidences and this needs to be taken care of,” said the human rights activist.

One of the facilities that have been lacking the kits for some time now is the St. Marks Lela Health Centre, in Central Kisumu ward, Kisumu West Constituency.

The center serves award with over 9, 000 people. A section of patients who visited the hospital last week were given malaria drugs without tests due to lack of the kits.

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