Machakos county government on Monday ordered the closure of all private pharmacies and laboratories located within a kilometer of public health facilities.
Governor Alfred Mutua said he had issued a three month notice on March 14 to the concerned parties but they had chosen to ignore it.
Mutua led a raid on the pharmacies adjacent to the Machakos level five hospital where twelve people were arrested and their facilities shut down with immediate effect.
The maendeleo chap chap party leader said chemists adjacent to the hospital had been found with drugs and reagents pilfered from the county’s premiere public health facility which resulted to artificial shortages.
Machakos is among the four counties enjoying the world bank and kenya government sponsored universal health coverage pilot project where drugs and all tests are absolutely free.
Mutua said the county had received sh 700 million for the purchase of drugs,reagents and other essential goods and would never allow pilferage of the same from public facilities.
Here are some photos.
