State: All coronavirus contributions put to good use
The National government has said all Covid-19 donations are safe and can be accounted for even as it called on governors to explain how Sh5 billion disbursed to the counties as conditional grant specific for coronavirus pandemic response, has been utilised.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said on Tuesday the State releases all Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) for distribution to the counties as it receives them.
“However, counties are required to make their assessments for distribution themselves based on priority of needs,” the CS said at Afya House.
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Earlier, Health Principal Secretary Susan Mochache and Foreign Affairs CAS Ababu Namwamba emphasised that “not a single donation has been lost” as widely reported recently.
They said that all the records pertaining to the Covid-19 donations since March - when the disease hit the country - are available for anybody who wants to crosscheck with government.
“Since we started this war on Covid in March, we formed a national taskforce that includes all the key stakeholders in the health sector. We brought together all experts for purposes of better coordination.
“We have a dedicated team that keys in all the donations, both in kind and monetary donations, including the money directed to the counties, and I can assure Kenyans that we have all the records of all that,” said the PS when she received a donation of PPEs from the Chinese government valued at Sh101 million at Kenya Medical Supplies Authority’s (Kemsa) depot in Embakasi, Nairobi.
PPE consignments
She said there is also another team at Afya House that’s tasked with ensuring that consignments of PPEs are cleared promptly at the ports of entry and able to be moved fast to the warehouses.
“This team works closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when it comes to matters of donations.
When it comes to matters of what has been procured, Kemsa - because it bears the mandate - ensures that the goods are cleared and brought to the warehouse.
To clear the doubts on the Covid donations, Mochache said there is another team tasked with ensuring that donations are distributed to the entire 47 counties.
“However, assessment for distribution is based on priority of needs; associated risk factors and the number of cases that have been reported.
The team then considers the priorities then apportions them based on this evaluation.
“But I want to assure the public that we have an inventory and kept all the records. All the 47 counties receive PPEs.
We make every effort to ensure that what’s donated by the national government goes to all the counties,” she said.
