By Yakubu Salisu, Kano
The Kano State Government said, state owned hospitals can now boast of qualitative and affordable drugs across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.
The Director General, Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA), Kano, Pharmacist Gali Sule stated this when he featured on a Special Health Program with Blazon News Nigeria in Kano.
According to him, the state government through the agency has continued to supply no fewer than nine hundred public health facilities across the state with standard drugs as part of resolve to providing quality healthcare system to it’s people.
“The administration of Governor Abba Kabir knowing fully well the important role drugs play in the health sector mandated us to source and supply our hospitals with these drugs.
Drugs are important component and in fact, at the helm of affairs when talking about healthcare system. There is no any healthcare system that will succeed without provision of quality, affordable and available drugs in it’s facilities.
“We have succeeded in bringing to end, the era where patients complain about nonavailability of drugs in public hospitals through sourcing for qualitative and affordable drugs from certified manufacturers and importers and from our drug manufacturing unit in the Agency”.
Speaking about mechanism adopted to checkmate activities of unscrupulous elements from diverting drugs from Government facilities, the Director, Drug and Supply, DMCSA, Tukur Ibrahim revealed that a high power five level monitoring committee are in charge.
“We call them the governing structure for the program including the Honorable Commissioner for health. They ensure the program is implemented as intended”.
He warned that anyone caught diverting drugs from Government facilities will not be spared.
“The committee sends out officials for monitoring and I want the public to know that anyone who divert our drugs for quick gains will not be spared.
We recently had that case and those involved were investigated and handed over to the state anti corruption agency where they were further investigated and found wanting.
Those found wanting have since been punished and we want to affirm that anyone who shortchange the system will not go scot-free,” Ibrahim added