The Yobe Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency on Thursday said it spent over N600 million in procurement of various drugs and medical consumables.
Pharmacist Abdul-aziz Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the agency, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Damaturu.
He said the agency had stocked its warehouses with the drugs and consumables in Damaturu, Potiskum, Nguru and Gashua.
Mohammed listed the categories of the drugs to include antibiotics, antimalarial, anti-diabetic, antihypertension, reagents, emergency drugs, among others.
The executive secretary said the state in collaboration with Save One Million Lives Project and Multi Sectorial Crises Recovery Project had invested over N400 million in various activities of the agency.
He said the funds were spent on purchasing vehicles, equipment, furnishing the office, upgrading and refurbishing warehouses, among others.
Mohammed said the agency was established in Dec. 2019 with the objective of procuring, storing and distributing qualitative drugs and medical consumables to healthcare centres at affordable prices.
The executive secretary said the agency is supplying the products to no fewer than 235 primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare centres across the state.
He said goal of the agency was to encourage all healthcare centres in the state to patronise it to obtain genuine and qualitative drugs.
“ Although the agency was established by an Act of Yobe House of Assembly, we believe its not just the law but making people feel comfortable with what we are doing for us to deliver the services.
“ We don’t want to sanction anyone; we prefer sensitisation of community and religious leaders and the facilities themselves on the need to patronise us,” Mohammed said.
The executive secretary commended Gov Mai Mala Buni and state Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawan Gana, for their roles in the recent employment of 23 pharmacists to support the agency and other healthcare centres.
