The Mombasa County Assembly has mandated its Health Services Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into the reported shortages of essential medicines in public hospitals and clinics. The committee is expected to complete the probe and report back within 14 days.
This directive follows concerns raised by Chaani MCA Frankline Makanga regarding the unavailability of prescribed drugs in county health facilities. The statement was presented by Jomvu Kuu MCA Jacktone Madialo, who urged the committee to verify the existence of these shortages and identify their root causes.
Scope of the Investigation
- Determine if medicine stock-outs are occurring and identify affected public health facilities.
- Establish causes such as supply chain disruptions, procurement issues, funding gaps, or storage and distribution challenges.
- Identify the categories of medicines impacted and estimate the number of patients affected.
- Assess the duration of the shortages.
- Recommend immediate actions to restore medicine supplies and long-term strategies to prevent recurrence.
Madialo emphasized that should the committee find the reports inaccurate, it must provide updated information on medicine availability and explain existing systems ensuring uninterrupted access to medication for residents.
Health Services Committee Vice-Chairperson Fatuma Swaleh requested additional time to verify facts and collect data, a request that was approved by the Assembly, setting the 14-day deadline for the committee's comprehensive report.
