The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) says its Order Fill Rate has risen from about 40 per cent to more than 90 per cent following changes to its supply chain operations.
KEMSA CEO Dr Waqo Ejersa said the authority changed its approach after engaging health facilities and other stakeholders to establish their actual needs.
“We called our stakeholders to help us decide what they need,” Dr Waqo said during a Health Systems Performance session on service delivery, health workforce, health products and technologies, and local manufacturing.
He said the approach moved KEMSA away from simply trying to manage nearly 3,800 stock-keeping units without a clear focus on demand.
The authority also reviewed its stock management after a national dialogue showed that it was holding large stocks while operating with limited resources.
KEMSA adopted what it described as a “shrink and grow” approach. This involved reducing unnecessary stock while increasing availability of products where demand was highest.
The authority also introduced two-year framework contracts to give suppliers greater certainty and support a more consistent supply of health products and technologies.
KEMSA said the move was aimed at shifting procurement from a reactive process to one that anticipates demand and reduces stockouts.
Technology has also been incorporated into the supply chain. Through CEWAS, KEMSA is working to improve commodity stocking and visibility.
The system is intended to support decisions on what to stock, where to stock it and when to replenish supplies.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki also highlighted the reported improvement during the summit, saying KEMSA had been “in disarray” in 2022 but had since made significant progress.
He, however, called for further measures to strengthen health commodity security. Kindiki said the Logistics Management Information System should be made interoperable with other government systems to improve the quality and use of data.
The Health Systems Performance session was chaired by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and moderated by Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga.
It brought together Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo, Healthcare Federation chairman Dr Kanyenje Gakombe, AGC Tenwek CEO Ben Siele and Kenyatta National Hospital CEO Dr Richard Lesiyampe.
The discussions focused on measures to strengthen health systems and accelerate universal health coverage.
KEMSA said the changes are intended to make its supply chain more responsive to demand, improve efficiency and ensure health products and technologies are available when and where they are needed.
