In order to ensure sustainable flow of adequate, qualitative and affordable drugs to state owned health facilities, Kano state government has reiterated its stance to strengthen the Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA) to function well in order to execute its mandates optimally.
The Hon. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, dropped the hint on Tuesday while speaking at the bid opening exercise for the supply of health commodities 2023/2024, held at the premises of the Agency.
This is made known in statement issued by the Information Officer, Ministry of Health, Ibrahim Abdullahi.
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According to Abdullahi, the DMCSA had recently advertized tender for framework contract for the supply of health commodities, where interested and eligible suppliers were invited for the supply and delivery of pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw material and medical commodities.
He said Dr. Labaran explained that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has placed high premium onto the health sector of the state with sterling policies, projects and programmes with a view to make it standardized and robust for the benefit of the teeming populace of the state.
“The Commissioner further stated that the role played by the DMCSA in supplying qualitative and affordable drugs as well as medical consumables to public facilities cannot be overemphasized, noting that that is why Kano State Government is doing its best to support the Agency at all times in order to achieve its mandates.
“He said the present administration took over the Agency with huge outstanding payments to suppliers and added that the Ministry of Health on behalf of the State Government had convened a meeting with the suppliers and assured them the willingness of the Agency to offset all the debts amounting to about N1.2b from both tender and emergency supplies, commending them for their understanding, support and cooperation,” the statement read in parts.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hajiya Amina Aliyu Musa, Dr. Labaran hailed His Excellency Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s commitment and political will to bring in positive changes into the entire healthcare system of the State.
The Commissioner reiterated the unwavering support to the Agency in the conduct of the bid opening and evaluation of the tender, assuring all the bidders that there is going to be fairness and transparency in the process of selecting successful suppliers.
Earlier speaking, the Director General of the DMSCA, Pharm. Gali Sule FPSN, reminded the participants that the Agency is charged with the responsibility of sourcing and supplying drugs and medical consumables to the teeming populace of the state through state owned public health facilities.
He added that, among the mandates of the Agency is to supply these drugs and consumables that are qualitative, in adequate quantity and at affordable rate to the people, pointing out that the bid opening is an effort towards actualizing all the major objectives that have set up the Agency.
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The DG noted that tendering process is very effective method of procurement, where bidders compete for the supply of drugs and consumables to the Agency, stressing that at the end of the process successful bidders will be awarded for the supply of the commodities.
Pharm. Gali further stated that the tender process also allows the Agency to get prices that are cost effective, appreciatively noted that he is sure some suppliers are giving the prices because of their conscious that it is the people that are benefitting from the commodities, not going to be sold for the purpose of profit.
“He eulogized the suppliers that partook in the bidding process because the prices they tender to the government is indeed part of their corporate social responsibility.
“Perturbed by the outstanding payments accumulated by the past leadership, the DG applauded the Hon. Commissioner for his timely intervention into the issue by having a session with the suppliers, where way forward was strategized on how to address the inherited debt of about N1.2b from 2019 to 2023, maintaining that they have devised a system where 12 month period was targeted to settle off all the debts, and they have started last month.”
Responding on behalf of the bidders, Auwalu Bala from JAWA International, commended Kano State Government for its extreme concern to the health of the people of the State and appreciated the DMCSA for opening the bidding for them to partake.
He assured the commitment of all the successful awardees towards supplying quality drugs and consumables in order to meet up the yearnings of people for better, qualitative and affordable drugs at all the times.