By Milcah Tanimu
Kano State Government has expressed deep concern over the inadequate supply of medication and related consumables in state-owned hospitals, attributing the issue to a significant outstanding debt inherited from the previous administration led by Abdullahi Ganduje.
Dr. Abubakar Yusuf, the Commissioner for Health in the state, revealed that the past government left a substantial debt of N1.2 billion owed to various pharmaceutical suppliers through the state’s Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA).
During a meeting with medical suppliers, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, who now heads DMCSA, lamented the challenging situation he inherited, including the agency’s financial woes and the state of the healthcare system left behind by the previous administration.
Dr. Yusuf explained the objectives of the meeting, stating, “The objectives of this meeting are to establish strategies to address the challenge of the significant outstanding payments to suppliers and to find a way forward to ensure a sustainable supply of commodities to the agency for the benefit of the people of Kano state. Notably among the challenges is the huge outstanding which stood at about N1.2 billion.”
He outlined the steps taken to mitigate these challenges, including establishing a baseline for DMCSA operations and ensuring prompt payments for all procurements carried out after determining the actual fund value of the agency.
The Commissioner sought the support and cooperation of suppliers with outstanding payments, requesting that they accept a time frame for settling the outstanding amount in installments. He also directed the drug agency to conduct a thorough reconciliation to determine actual supplies and monthly payments.
Pharmacist Gali Sule, the new head of DMCSA, lamented the poor state of pharmaceutical services in state-owned facilities due to the lack of quality drug and consumable supply. He assured medical suppliers of the state government’s commitment to adhere to the agreed payment modalities.
Speaking on behalf of the drug suppliers, Ben Ochigbo of Trusted Pharmacy Ltd expressed appreciation for the support of the State Government and the Ministry of Health in advancing the DMCSA. He reaffirmed the suppliers’ readiness to maintain a cooperative business relationship with DMCSA to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality products at affordable prices.
