An acute drug shortage has hit Bungoma County hospitals over failure to pay Sh13 million Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) debt.
The development has forced most patients to buy drugs from private pharmacies while those without means are left without an option.
According to the county’s chief officer in charge of health Robert Simiyu, Bungoma last received its supplies in September last year.
“We have been operating without drugs for over three months now since the county has failed to pay the remaining debt of Sh13 million,” said Simiyu.
He said the county which is in the process of clearing the debt in the next one week has already paid up Sh9 million.
He urged the residents to be patient as the matter is handled by the finance department.
However, he appealed to clinical officers working in various health facilities not to admit in patients except for complicated cases only.
