The Chief Medical Director, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Stephen Hwande, has disclosed that BSUTH will soon become a centre of medical excellence and drug distribution hub in the country.
To achieve this, he revealed that Governor Hyacinth Alia has approved the construction of an ultra modern and digitized medical store which is almost completed.
The medical store, the CMD said, was in line with the state’s aim of institutionalising an efficient supply chain management for medicines, reagents, consumables and hospital equipment in Benue.
Speaking at a stakeholders consultative meeting and sensitisation seminar in Makurdi, Dr Hwande reiterated his commitment to change the negative narrative of out of stock syndrome and ensure the complete revamping of the supply chain for drugs, consumables and hospital equipment.
He expressed his commitment towards reversing the unwholesome tradition of BSUTH waiting endlessly for supplies of essential and life saving medicines and consumables from Lagos, Abuja and Onitsha at the detriment of patients in critical conditions.
According to him, the current efforts of BSUTH management to revitalize the inefficient drugs and consumables supplies is in tandem with the transformation agenda of governor Alia-led administration in the health sector.
“Governor Alia has made investment in a qualitative health care delivery system by committing 15% of Benue State annual budget to the health sector. He must be commended for complying with the World Health Organisations requirement.
“We want to replicate the efficient hospital drug supply system in Lagos and Abuja in Makurdi. We are not talking about drug retailing but our focus is making BSUTH the centre of excellence in Medical diagnosis and treatment as well as supply of life saving medicines,” Dr Hwande said.
The CMD called on all the regulatory agencies, drug manufacturers and importers present at the seminar to support BSUTH in the attainment of this laudable initiative.
Meanwhile, a former Director of Public Affairs, NAFDAC, Dr Abubakar Jimoh, identified inefficient supply chain infrastructure, limited access to essential medicines, falsified and substandard medicines and inadequate supply chain visibility as some of the challenges faced by health institutions in ensuring effective and sustainable supply and distribution of medicines and hospital consumables.
Jimoh, who is an adjunct Senior Research Fellow at University of Abuja, listed adoption of digital technologies, stakeholders collaboration, efficient procurement system and capacity building of staff as some of the strategies BSUTH must embrace to achieve its objective of putting in place effective and sustainable supply chain management .
The retired NAFDAC director said the digitised medicine store initiative would prevent patronage of open drug markets and enhance access of Benue people to safe, good quality, affordable and efficacious medicines and hospital consumables.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
The post Benue teaching hospital to get digitised medicine store – CMD appeared first on Healthwise.