Grand theft at Ministry of Health where a theater lamp cost Ksh.4M

It has now emerged that taxpayers could have lost a huge chunk of the Ksh.25 billion already paid out in the leased medical equipment scheme.

Documents presented before the Senate Ad-Hoc committee probing the matter on Thursday, revealed that counties blindly paid millions of shillings more for consumables in a medical scheme whose integrity is subject of a probe by Parliament.

In a heated session during a meeting between Senators and the Health Ministry Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, pointed questions by Senators regarding the messy county medical equipment lease.

This is a multi-billion shillings medical scheme, in which the national government procured medical equipment for counties in a bid to boost health care.

A process now dogged by suspicions not to mention, taxpayers could be losing billions of shillings as payments continue.

Inside the voluminous documents presented by CS Kariuki, entailed a payment of Ksh.4.2 million for a single theater lamp.

In the same document, an operation table cost tax payers Ksh.6.3 million escalating controversy that has left governors red eyed accusing the national government of robbing counties their money.

“We are concerned as Senate because Kenyans are losing money here, the government can contradict itself as much as it can but it must be held accountable,” said Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula.

In the same payments, one patient resuscitation trolley cost Ksh.1.6 million while one instrument and linen trolley cost Ksh.250,000 and Ksh.300,000 respectively.

A piece of a patient stretcher costs Ksh.2.1 million in the medical scheme, while a basic laparotomy costs Ksh.2.4 million.

Incision tray costs Ksh.350,000 each while a caesarian section set cost Ksh.1.6 million.

The equipment that have been delivered in over 100 hospitals in all the 47 counties have only been leased and the lease period expires in 2022, yet counties continue to pay Ksh.200 million each year.

Upon expiry of the seven years, counties can decide to extend for three years, the ministry can choose to retain the equipment by paying some amount of money or dispose them at a cost.

Other counties still have the equipment wrapped in cartons yet they continue to pay with the lease period closing in three years’ time.