The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, says the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved Medipool, a group purchasing organisation, as supplier of essential healthcare products across Nigeria.
Pate said this while briefing State House reporters at the end of the sixth FEC meeting of the year on Monday.
He said the Medipool project would be executed through the federal government’s basic health care provision fund, and also eventually through federal tertiary hospitals, to negotiate lower prices.
“So, it’s using monopsony power of government as a large buyer of those commodities to negotiate lower prices and then channel those commodities to the areas of need.
“The scope includes procurement planning, distribution monitoring, supply chain, logistics management, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, as well as ensuring that local manufacturers are supported.
“It also covers import substitution, financial management and payment systems, capacity building and training and contingency planning to ensure steady availability of essential drugs through public private partnership,” Pate said.
He said Medipool had been vetted through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, and benchmarked with other global group purchasing organisations in Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.
“We believe that this is a major intervention that will shape the domestic market, so that the demand for quality pharmaceuticals can be channeled in a way that lowers cost and also improves quality and stimulates local manufacturing,” he said.
Pate stated that for almost a year and a half, the government had been trying different ways to reduce the costs of pharmaceutical products because Nigerians were hurting from rising costs.
Pate said FEC also approved the award of contract for the procurement and installation of cardiac categorisation machine by the Usman Dafidio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, at the cost of N2.3 billion.
He this would help the university teaching hospital provide diagnosis and treatment services for heart and blood vessel problems, heart attacks, and irregular heart rates.
Meanwhile, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a new national policy on employment.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi disclosed this after the federal cabinet meeting on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Addressing journalists after the FEC meeting, the minister said the ministry decided to initiate the review to develop new strategies which will address challenges of poverty, unemployment and under employment, and create economic opportunities for employment of Nigerians.
Also, the Head of Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack also told State House reporters that she got approval of FEC for the Group Life Insurance Scheme, stressing that it showed the importance that the present administration placed on the welfare of workers.
