The Council of Governors (CoG) led by the Health Committee Chairperson Muthomi Njuki on Thursday, December 1, resolved to suspend new agreements on managed equipment services (MES) until their conditions are met.
County heads argued that they were running at losses as the equipment they earlier purchased and paid for was lying idle.
Replacement of faulty and old equipment and the transfer of technology for maintaining them are among their demands.
“As a council, we have also called on the Health Cabinet Secretary not to sign any fresh deal that will compel counties to use taxpayers' monies,” Njuki affirmed during a retreat the committe's retreat in Diani.
Njuki further revealed that the CoG wants an audit of the equipment performance for the past seven years, as most counties have returned unsatisfactory results.
Opposition to MES was because the programme had a lease agreement for seven years, but there is a proposal for a three-year extension without stakeholders’ involvement.
“In our review of terms of engagement as the Council of Governors, we want consultations that will, in the end, lead to mutual benefit,” declared Governor Njuki.
The MES project was launched for a seven-year lease programme during former President Uhuru Kenyatta's tenure.
Under the project, the national government equipped at least two hospitals in each County and four National Referral hospitals with outsourced specialised state-of-the-art medical equipment to support the devolution of equitable, accessible, affordable and quality health care.
In this arrangement, equipment manufacturers were outsourced to supply, install, train users, and provide maintenance, repair and replacement services for the specialised medical equipment for the duration of the MES contract.
Njuki stated that the managed equipment services project had been shrouded in mystery right from inception and called on the Kenya Kwanza administration to review the whole process to ensure taxpayers get value for their money.
“It would have been wise to give the counties the resources and the leeway to purchase the equipment instead of leasing them in the first place,” Njuki stated.
