By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
To eliminate wastage, Kaduna State Government is transforming its medical supply-chain system through coding and tracking drugs supplied to end users.
Executive Secretary of Kaduna State Drug Supply and Management Agency (DSMA), Hajiya Ramatu Abdulkadir who announced this at a Roundtable Discussion on Child Spacing in Kaduna said the step was to ensure a cost-effective supply and distribution system.
According to her, Kaduna State government spends an average of N144,000 in transporting drugs to general hospitals and another N300,000 to Primary Health Care Centres (PHC), but a pilot project involving a third party in the distribution has brought down the figure to N35 to General Hospitals and N300 to PHCs.
Also, the distribution of medical drugs and supplies which normally takes a period of 36 days to complete has been brought down to 3 days in the 56 facilities covered by the pilot project.
The Executive Secretary who was being honoured for her role in procurement of child spacing consumables promised to work relentlessly for the citizens of Kaduna State.
Hajiya Abdulkadir thanked Family Health Advocates in Nigeria Initiative (FHANI) for recognizing her, adding that their core mandate is to procure and distribute.
Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chairman of FHANI, Alhaji Bala Tijjani informed that FHANI is an advocacy group that work on issues aimed at safe motherhood and general improvement of maternal and child health.
He commended Kaduna State government for the allocation of N100 million in 2017 budget for procurement of child spacing consumables aimed at making child spacing services free to women, especially at the grass root where women pay an average of N500 to access services.
Alhaji Bala Tijjani who is also a District Head in the Zazzau Emirate said through the commitment of the advocacy group, budget line was secured from the 23 local government Councils for family health activities.
He explained that FHANI recognized the role played by the Executive Secretary in the procurement of the consumables, hence the need for the recognition.
“You have been our partner, friend, caring and supportive to FHANI to this day, hence the needs for us to say thank you”, the Vice Chairman told the Executive Secretary.
Also speaking, Programme Officer of Pathfinder International, sponsors of the programme, Mallam Yusuf Nuhu gave kudos to FHANI which he described as the best in the 12 states where Pathfinder is operating.
He said Pathfinder would continue to assist the advocacy group to expand, emphasizing that FHANI has taken the bull by the horn by showing Commitment and transparency in its activities.
“FHANI is the best, if not the best, it can’t be beyond the second best”, he said.
The programme drew officials from the State Ministry of Health, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Development Partners and other relevant NGOs.
