From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
The Kogi State government on Wednesday distributed essential drugs and medical consumables worth millions of naira to state owned hospitals and medical facilities.
The distribution according to the Kogi State Drugs and Medical Supply Management Agency (KSDMSMA) is the last of the quarterly distribution of Medical Consumables to the Zonal General and Comprehensive Health Centres across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Secretary of the agency, Mahmoud Odidi Ozigi, a Pharmacist explained that the Agency has been able to improve on the Endothelium Delivered Relaxing Factor EDRF and has been able to come up with a quarterly scheme that ensures a constant and affordable supply of drugs and other medical consumables to government owned medical facilities across the state.
According to him, Tablets, Capsules, Injections, Infusions, Syrups, Suspension, Laboratory reagents, Mortuary needs, Medical and Surgical Consumables as well as X-ray Items worth several hundreds of Millions were part of the supplied consumables.
He said “The new Direction government having observed the improvement of SDSS over EDRF and in keeping with global best practices and in line with the National Policy Guidelines for proper Drug distribution, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello on the 3rd of June 2019 signed the kogi State Drug and Medical Supply Management Agency bill into law.
“The coming of the KSDMSA has improved healthcare delivery in the state by making drugs available to health facilities”.
He added that the vandalisation of the Essential Drugs store during the #ENDSARS protest retarded the growth and development of the Central Medical Store in the state.
He said “our main objective as an agency is to make drugs and consumables available, accessible, and affordable to all health facilities in the state. This we are determine to do by the special grace of God”
Ozigi added that Kogi State government will establish a state own Pharmaceutical outfit that can at least produce paracetamol and other essential drugs and consumables needed in the state. He added that it will provide job opportunities and generate internal revenue for the government while enhancing drugs supply in the state.
He commended governor Yahaya Bello for his assistance and support to the agency and the health sector in general.