This archive report was first published on 28 November 2019.
Published on November 28, 2019, the Sh38 billion medical equipment lease has been a subject of controversy in Kenya. The Ministry of Health officials rushed the procurement and installation of the sophisticated equipment in some public hospitals, with the intention of providing modern machines for highly specialised medical treatment.
However, the counties were not ready for the equipment and still lack the capacity to make good use of them. The Council of Governors has lamented that they were not even involved in making such a costly decision that directly affects them.
Public procurement is an area where corruption is rampant, and it's possible that the deal was motivated by selfish gain. One of the international suppliers has disputed the cost disclosed by the ministry officials.
As the Senate investigation into the Managed Equipment Services (MES) programme continues, the challenge now is how to get some value out of an apparently bungled scheme. The Health ministry must liaise with the county authorities to carry out an assessment of the current state of the equipment and identify, train, and deploy staff to make good use of the equipment.
It's imperative that the ministry takes charge of the operation and maintenance of the machines, even though healthcare is devolved. Most of the counties lack the capacity to do it.
