TAITA-TAVETA: A state-of-the-art ultrasound machine donated by the Kenya Red Cross Society to the Taita-Taveta government in 2021 has gone missing from the Moi County Referral Hospital.
According to Kenya News Agency, the machine was not listed in the hospital’s asset inventory, raising further questions about the security and handling of expensive medical equipment in the region.
Gifton Mkaya, the County Executive for Health Services, made the disclosure during a questioning session with the County Assembly Committee on Health. The meeting was convened to discuss pressing issues in the health sector. “We don’t know where the ultrasound machine is. It was not among the items included in the handing-over report,” Mkaya explained.
Duncan Wangama, the Wusi-Kishamba Ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) and chair of the committee, revealed that reliable information about the machine’s disappearance had reached the committee. “We need to know the cost, model, and serial number of this machine so that we can speak from a point of knowledge,” Wangama said. To the committee’s surprise, Mkaya admitted that he could not provide those details and had not followed up on the matter since reporting it to the police.
Lawrence Mzugha, Mbololo MCA and Deputy Majority Leader, criticized the lack of tangible reports and statements from the health department. “What you said is neither here nor there because it is vague. We need tangible reports and statements to work on,” Mzugha noted.
The absence of such a valuable piece of medical equipment from the busiest health facility in the region has led to scrutiny of the department’s asset management practices. In his defense, Mkaya asked for time to identify the officers responsible for receiving the machine when it was first donated. Mkaya stated that senior officers in the department had since been redeployed and that the machine’s absence only came to his attention recently.
The machine, which was stored in the maternity ward, was quietly dismantled and its parts removed by unknown individuals. Even the empty shell of the machine was taken, leaving no trace of its whereabouts. Mkaya admitted that identifying those responsible would be difficult given that the event occurred over two years ago.
The committee has directed Mkaya to provide all relevant documents pertaining to the missing machine within 14 days, including correspondence with investigative agencies. Ultrasound machines serve a variety of medical imaging needs, ranging in cost from over Sh1.6 million to Sh10 million depending on their capabilities.