The County Government of Nakuru has broken its silence after the Auditor General flagged the presence of Sh2 million expired HIV nad TB drugs at the facility.
In a statement, Executive Committee Member for Health Services Roselyn Mungai said the drugs expired as a result of a change in the user protocol and could no longer be administered.
She explained that the first batch was donated by development partners, while the second was from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (Kemsa).
The CEC said the drugs from Kemsa were not purchased by the county.
“The first set of drugs consists of "program drugs" donated by our development partner. The expiration of these drugs was caused by a change in the user protocol, which necessitated the stoppage of their distribution.
“The second set of drugs was a documented donation from KEMSA of 'short expiry drugs' intended for high-volume facilities. These were not purchased and were certainly not part of our essential medicines,” Mungai said.
She further explained that once drugs expire, the county cannot just dispose of them before an audit and disposal process are completed.
The CEC reiterated the county government’s commitment to accountability at all times.
“Once drugs expire, the hospital cannot dispose of them until a stringent audit and disposal process is completed.”
The clarification follows the auditor general’s revelation that in the report covering the 2023/2024 financial year, the facility failed to prevent the stocking of expired drugs, a lapse that could endanger patients.
The report indicates that a physical inspection by auditors on October 8, 2024, unearthed the expired drugs and medical supplies.
“A review of records from the pharmacy department at Nakuru Level Five Hospital on October 8, 2024, revealed that drugs amounting to Sh1.8 million had expired during the year under review but were still in the stores,” the report said.
In the 2023/2024 financial year, the county procured drugs and medical supplies worth Sh114.6 million from Kemsa and alternative suppliers.
The report further revealed that the hospital management could not provide a valid explanation for storing expired drugs supplied by the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa).
