This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On July 2, 2020, the Kenya Covid-19 Fund Board, in partnership with Equity Group Foundation, embarked on the distribution of locally manufactured PPEs to public hospitals for use by healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients.
The Ministry of Health has identified 68 public hospitals that will receive PPEs for up to 18 months.
Locally manufactured PPEs valued at Sh3,191,370 were delivered to Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit on July 2, 2020. The consignment included disposable gowns, surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, nitrile gloves, head/hair covers, shoe covers, and gumboots.
Speaking during the handover of the PPEs, Chairperson of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund Board Jane Karuku assured that the funds received at the Board were being well utilized through a governance structure that includes independent auditors.
Dr. James Mwangi, who Chairs the Health Committee of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund Board, said, “We are very delighted to witness the last mile delivery of the PPEs to the public hospitals for use by our health care workers. We can now say with fulfillment that the medical supplies value chain is taking shape.”
Professor Isaac Macharia, the technical lead on the Health Committee of the COVID-19 Fund Board, said, “This initiative has given the medical fraternity, through the Health committee of the COVID-19 Fund Board the opportunity to work closely with the local manufacturers in improving the quality of the PPEs.”
Dr. Evanson Kamuri, CEO of Kenyatta National Hospital, noted that the PPEs will go a long way in protecting frontline workers that are providing medical support to COVID-19 patients at the two hospitals.
“The challenge of access to quality and a continuous supply of PPEs is not unique to Kenya alone, as the same insufficiencies are being experienced globally and at a much larger scale. We are indeed grateful for the partnership between the Kenya COVID-19 Fund, Equity Group Foundation and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, which has resulted in a local solution to kit our hospitals with the much-needed supply of PPEs,” said Dr. Kamuri.
