COVID-19: Kenyan health ministry spends N7m on airtime, N14m on tea and snacks
- The Kenyan health ministry said a total of N471 billion (KSh 1.3 billion) has so far been used in combating the coronavirus pandemic
- Other expenses included leasing ambulances (KSh 42 million), communications (KSh 70 million), stationery (KSh 6.5 million) and printing of forms (KSh 9 million)
- The department also allocated Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) KSh 150 million to provide additional bed capacity at Mbagathi Hospital isolation centre
The Kenyan ministry of health has spent N7 million (KSh 2 million) on airtime and N14 million (KSh 4 million) on tea and snacks since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the country.
In a statement, the ministry said a total of N471 billion (KSh 1.3 billion) had so far been used in combating the killer disease.
The ministry's budget breakdown seen by TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, April 30, indicated the expenditure was tabled before National Assembly's health committee chaired by Murang’a woman representative Sabina Chege.
According to the document, some of the expenses incurred included leasing ambulances (KSh 42 million), communications (KSh 70 million), airtime (KSh 2 million), tea and snacks (KSh 4 million), stationery (KSh 6.5 million) and printing of forms (KSh 9 million).
Printing of forms gobbled 10 times more money than it had been budgeted for as the initial approved proposal was KSh 900,000.
The ministry also allocated Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) KSh 150 million to provide additional bed capacity at Mbagathi Hospital isolation centre, and KSh 10 million to the National Youth Service (NYS) for security services in isolation and quarantine facilities.
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KSh 5 million was allocated to the broadcasting department to facilitate community outreaches and media tours across regions.
Here were some of the reaction by Kenyans on the expenditure:
"It's ironical that GoK spent 4 million on tea and snacks in a period of one month while it's citizens have nothing to eat evidently after a woman cooked stones for supper," Lesterweed Junior said.
"It's no longer funny when the MoH spends a whopping 4 million on tea and snacks when such huge amounts of money should be invested in PPEs, testing kits and ventilators," Mwangi Maina opined.
"Four million on tea and snacks. And then there are Kenyans citizens who cannot afford a meal, leave alone two square meals a day," Saru wondered.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that data by the United Nations has said that the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown could lead to about seven million pregnancies in the coming months and lead to big disruptions in health care services.
According to SROC, the UN Population Fund and partners said that the number of women who are unable to access family planning or facing unplanned pregnancies and confronting domestic violence could greatly increase in millions.
The same release said that 47 million women may not be able to access contraceptives should the Covid-19 lockdown go on for straight six months.
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Source: Legit.ng