Story from Najib Sani, Bauchi
Bauchi state government in partnership with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) scheme to ensure sustainable funding to procure and distribute malaria drugs and maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) commodities in the state.
Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed represented by his deputy Baba Tela launched the scheme in the state.
The governor noted that the implementation of the scheme would help in addressing a common problem in the health care sector and the non-availability of malaria and maternal newborn and child health commodities.
According to him, the scheme could make available the drugs in all wards of the state and all the general hospitals across the state.
He expressed appreciation to the USAID for their support to the state assuring that government is ever ready to partner with donor agencies to make life better for citizens.
In his remarks, the representative of the country director of USAID Mr Mike Egboh explained that the scheme is under USAID’s Global Health Supply Chain program, procurement and supply management project (GHSC-PSM) which provides assistance to Bauchi.
He pointed out that an uninterrupted supply of medicines is essential for the state to significantly reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality and meet the health-related targets of the sustainable development goals.
“Strengthening health systems continues to be a priority for USAID. Through its supply chain mechanism, USAID will continue to provide technical assistance to strengthen governance structures and financial safeguards for sustainable drug revolving fund operations.
“It will provide technical assistance to strengthen the state’s supply chain through capacity building targeting procurement, contract management, monitoring and supportive supervision, logistics management, human resources for supply chains and other areas. The scheme would be launched in Kebbi and Sokoto states too”. He said.
Our correspondent reports that USAID has during the occasion handed over maternal, newborn and child health commodities worth N364, 800, 000 million and malaria medicines worth N80, 000, 000 million.
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