Kenyatta National Hospital and Mbagathi Hospital Infectious Diseases Unit have received the first consignment of locally manufactured PPEs valued at Kshs 3,191,370. The consignment included disposable gowns, surgical masks, N95 respirator masks, nitrile gloves, head/hair covers, shoe covers, and gumboots.
Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital had earlier received their first consignment of PPEs valued at KShs 3,822,080. The distribution and last-mile delivery are being handled by Fargo Courier, an independent logistics service provider selected on the basis of their infrastructure and their robust and automated logistics capability, to deliver the PPEs across the country.
Speaking during the handover of the PPEs, Chairperson of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund Board Mrs. Jane Karuku, gave an assurance that the funds received at the Board were being well utilized through a governance structure that includes independent auditors. She expressed confidence in the board members skills, expertise and commitment to ensure that the mandate of the Board is well executed with transparency and efficiency. She thanked the various Board committee chairpersons who are doing commendable work.
Dr. James Mwangi, who Chairs the Health Committee of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund Board said, “We are very delighted to witness the last-mile delivery of the PPEs to the public hospitals for use by our health care workers. We can now say with a fulfilment that the medical supplies value chain is taking shape. In just a few months, we have seen local manufacturers rise up to produce PPEs, many of them for the first time. They have quickly adapted their capabilities through capacity building and strong commitment. About six manufacturers have already attained national and international quality standards for the medical-grade PPEs proving that local solutions exist even for global problems. As a nation, we have what it takes to fight this pandemic.” Dr. Mwangi also said that the COVID-19 Fund Board through the Health Committee has embarked on the process of procuring the second batch of PPEs worth Ksh 400Million. “It is important to build a reservoir of PPEs to sustainably equip our frontline medical workers.”
The distribution of locally produced PPEs comes 6 weeks after EGFs announcement in May of a Kshs 1.1 Billion (USD 11 Million) investment partnership with Mastercard Foundation, Equity Bank, and the family of Dr. James Mwangi which was donated towards the provision of PPEs for frontline healthcare workers. The investment was committed to the Kenya COVID-19 Fund, which made a matching donation, creating an effective and efficient collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Kenya COVID-19 Fund, and Equity Group Foundation designed to ensure a coordinated effort on the national priorities of combarting the pandemic and allowing the initiative to reap the benefits of economies of scale to maximize resource allocation and avoid duplication of efforts in the provision of PPEs.
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