KEMSA Refurbishes Port Reitz Hospital Medicine Store to Boost Drug Safety

MOMBASA, Kenya, Oct 28 — The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) has handed over a refurbished medicine store at Port Reitz Sub-County Hospital in Mombasa, in a move aimed at improving the quality and safety of essential medicines.

The upgraded facility is expected to strengthen medicine storage, stock management and protection of medical supplies serving more than 300,000 people in Changamwe, Jomvu and surrounding areas.

The handover ceremony was presided over by Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir and marked a collaboration between KEMSA and the county government to improve healthcare infrastructure and the management of health products.

KEMSA Chief Executive Officer Waqo Ejersa said the refurbishment was undertaken under the authority’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme for the 2025/2026 financial year.

He said the intervention followed a needs assessment conducted in April 2025 by KEMSA, Mombasa County officials and hospital management, which identified inadequate storage capacity and deteriorating infrastructure.

“Protecting the quality of medicines does not end with procurement or delivery. Appropriate storage conditions are equally important in preserving product integrity before medicines reach patients,” Ejersa said.

He added that the improvements would help minimise avoidable deterioration and losses while supporting safer and more effective patient care.

The refurbishment involved structural and functional improvements designed to create a safer, more secure and better-organised environment for storing medical commodities.

The works included installation of a ceiling and air-conditioning system to support temperature control, floor improvements, additional windows fitted with security grills and new doors to enhance security and ventilation.

Other upgrades involved repairs to storage racks, reinforcement of cracked walls, construction of a washroom and office spaces, and installation of gutters to facilitate rainwater harvesting.

Perimeter pavement was also constructed to minimise pest intrusion and reduce the risk of water damage.

According to KEMSA, the improvements will support the safe receipt, storage and distribution of medical supplies while strengthening stock control and inventory management at the hospital.

Ejersa said appropriate storage infrastructure was essential to maintaining compliance with Good Storage and Distribution Practices outlined in guidance from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board and the World Health Organization.

He noted that medicines could be compromised by unsuitable temperatures, moisture, pest infestation and inadequate security.

The CEO added that infrastructure upgrades must be complemented by regular temperature monitoring, accurate inventory records, equipment maintenance and adherence to product-specific storage requirements.

Ejersa commended the Mombasa County Government for its collaboration with KEMSA, citing its engagement in procuring health products, commitment to allocating resources for medical supplies and timely settlement of payments.

He said predictable financing and timely payments were critical to sustaining KEMSA’s revolving fund model, which supports the procurement and distribution of essential medical supplies to health facilities across the country.

“Reliable access to essential medicines depends on strong partnerships, predictable financing and effective supply-chain management,” he said.

Ejersa added that KEMSA’s responsibility extended beyond delivering medicines to health facilities to supporting the systems and infrastructure needed to safeguard them until they were dispensed to patients.

Governor Nassir welcomed the refurbishment, describing it as an example of how collaboration between national institutions and county governments could address challenges in healthcare delivery.

He said the county remained committed to working with KEMSA to ensure health facilities had reliable access to quality and affordable medicines and other essential medical supplies.

The governor also emphasised the need for accountability in the management of public health commodities and the prevention of avoidable losses.

The Port Reitz project forms part of KEMSA’s broader CSR programme, which targets interventions aimed at strengthening county health systems and improving access to quality, affordable health products and technologies.

The authority has previously supported medicine store improvements at Mtwapa Sub-County Hospital in Kilifi County and Msambweni County Referral Hospital in Kwale County.

It has also supported a laboratory project at Nyonjoro Health Centre in Nakuru County and is finalising another laboratory project at Dakabaricha Dispensary in Marsabit County.

KEMSA said the refurbished Port Reitz medicine store had undergone completion checks and was ready for handover.

The authority said it would continue working with county governments and other stakeholders to strengthen medicine storage, improve supply-chain management and support the delivery of quality healthcare services.