Prof. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has introduced that the Federal Govt Council (FEC) has accredited Medipool, a gaggle buying group, to provide important healthcare merchandise nationwide.
Prof. Ali Pate made the announcement whereas briefing State Home correspondents on Monday, following the sixth Federal Govt Council (FEC) assembly of the yr.
He defined that the Medipool undertaking could be carried out via the federal authorities’s Fundamental Well being Care Provision Fund and, ultimately, via federal tertiary hospitals, with the intention of negotiating decrease costs for important well being merchandise.
“It leverages the federal government’s monopsony energy as a significant purchaser of healthcare commodities to safe lowered costs and direct these provides to areas of want,” Pate stated.
Scope and impression of the medipool initiative
In accordance with him, the undertaking’s scope contains procurement planning, distribution monitoring, provide chain and logistics administration, high quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. It should additionally help native producers and promote import substitution.
Moreover, the initiative covers monetary administration and cost programs, capability constructing and coaching, in addition to contingency planning to make sure a gentle provide of important medication via a public-private partnership framework.
Pate famous that Medipool had been vetted by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Fee and benchmarked in opposition to related group buying organizations in nations reminiscent of Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and others.
“We consider this can be a main intervention that can reshape the home market by channeling the demand for high quality prescription drugs in a method that reduces prices, enhances high quality, and stimulates native manufacturing,” he stated.
Authorities’s broader efforts to chop pharmaceutical prices
Pate defined that for practically a yr and a half, the federal government had been exploring numerous methods to cut back the price of pharmaceutical merchandise, as many Nigerians proceed to endure from rising costs.
He famous that the problem just isn’t distinctive to Nigeria, declaring that even nations like america have issued Govt Orders aimed toward reducing pharmaceutical prices.
In accordance with him, the Medipool initiative aligns with the presidential drive to unlock the healthcare worth chain and helps the Govt Order signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024.
“That Govt Order launched incentives for native manufacturing by eradicating tariffs on the importation of uncooked supplies, thereby encouraging native manufacturing,” Pate stated.
Pate added {that a} key part of the Govt Order empowers the Ministry to form the healthcare market by aggregating demand throughout Nigeria’s well being sector and selling native suppliers.
N2.3 billion cardiac gear for Sokoto hospital
He additionally introduced that the Federal Govt Council (FEC) accredited a contract for the procurement and set up of a cardiac catheterization machine on the Usmanu Danfodiyo College Educating Hospital in Sokoto, at a value of N2.3 billion.
In accordance with Pate, the gear will allow the hospital to supply superior diagnostic and remedy providers for coronary heart and blood vessel situations, together with coronary heart assaults and irregular coronary heart rhythms.
“These are extremely advanced and severe medical situations. With this new functionality, the College Educating Hospital in Sokoto will be capable to serve not solely the individuals of Sokoto State but additionally the broader Northwest geopolitical zone and certainly, your complete nation,” he stated.
The Minister added that the transfer would save lives and in addition assist scale back outbound medical tourism, enabling Nigerians to entry vital cardiac providers regionally.
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