Turkana: The Turkana County Government has launched a dedicated hotline to report medical supply fraud, theft, and mismanagement across the region's 301 health facilities. In a statement read by the County Chief Officer for Medical Services, Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel, the new hotline (0746196057) enables the public to anonymously report issues such as drug diversion, circulation of supplies in unauthorized facilities and private clinics, and unethical practices within health facilities.
According to Kenya News Agency, Chief Officer Dr. Gilchrist Lokoel unveiled the hotline during the flag-off of Sh 13.8 million in medical supplies earmarked for 104 facilities across the county. Dr. Lokoel emphasized the importance of public participation, stating, "Despite heightened supervision and strict tracking of supplies, we acknowledge that we cannot be everywhere all the time. It's against this backdrop that we encourage the public to call us through 0746196057 once they notice pilferage and misuse of commodities."
The hotline is part of a broader accountability framework designed to safeguard the health system's integrity. Dr. Lokoel clarified that the supplies were part of a Sh59 Million request placed to KEMSA in April 2025, expressing confidence that it would support the facilities for two to three months before the next supply round in September 2025.
To ensure uninterrupted service delivery, the county has begun quantification and forecasting for the next cycle of health products and technologies, with all health facilities preparing for their quarter one orders projected to cost Sh 120 million. Present at the launch were Director of Health Products and Technologies Dr. David Moru, Head of Unit for Strategic Programs Margaret Lokota, Principal Administrator Paul Ekidor, Deputy Directors of Primary Health Care Peter Ekope, Health Programs Monitoring and Evaluation Sarah Esinyen, and Administration Rebecca Alimlim.