Africa-Press – Kenya. The Turkana County Government has announced that it will kickstart a crackdown on private clinics that are unlawfully selling medicines belonging to the Lodwar Referral Hospital.
In a press briefing on Monday, May 5, the County Executive Committee(CEC) for Health, Joseph Epem, noted that there has been an accelerating rate of medicine theft from the hospital by cartels who are going ahead to sell them at their private clinics.
The CEC stressed the need for the public to work jointly with the county government by forwarding information regarding private clinics that are selling the medicines unlawfully.
“We will fight with people who are doing these acts. Because medicines in this hospital are meant for the public and should not be sold,” he stated.
“Soon we will start conducting an inspection of private clinics, and anyone who is caught selling medicine that is meant for the public we shall deal with him,” he added.
In a bid to heighten surveillance in the hospital, the CEC has said that the hospital board will have the responsibility of giving approvals for drugs to leave and enter the hospital.
“We have the board of the hospital, which represents the community, and they will be part of the receiving team of the drugs, and when the drugs leave, they should also tell us because this needs collective effort, since the government cannot be everywhere,” he stated.
The announcement comes days after the Mombasa county government also gave new directives, in an effort to control the sale of prescription medicines in hospitals and clinics in the county.
In a statement on his official X account on Monday, April 14, the Mombasa County Governor, Abdulswamad Nassir, stated that the easy accessibility of these medicines in the hospital and chemists had triggered rampant misuse of the drugs.
Nassir pointed out that only pharmacies within level 4 hospitals in the county will be allowed to sell the drugs.
According to the Governor, the Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, had also given a nod to the move.
“Prescription medicine misuse is robbing our communities of their youth, tearing apart families, and fueling a silent public health crisis,” he stated.
“This plan, intended to work hand in hand with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, NACADA, and the National Police, will ensure that only pharmacies within Level 4 hospitals and above can sell these medicines,” he added.
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