Kogi State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency has launched a Last Mile Delivery initiative to improve the distribution of medicines and medical consumables to public health facilities across the state.
The initiative is designed to ensure timely supply of drugs to hospitals, strengthen the medical supply chain, reduce transportation costs, and ease the burden on health facilities that previously had to collect drugs from the state warehouse in Lokoja. It is also aimed at ensuring that medicines reach patients efficiently.
The programme covers secondary hospitals across Kogi’s three senatorial districts, including zonal, general, cottage and comprehensive health centres, as well as colleges of health and tertiary health institutions.
The agency said the initiative was made possible with the support of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Coordinating Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, and staff of the agency.
Hospital management teams across the state have welcomed the development, praising the government for supplying essential drugs and delivering them directly to health facilities. They described the initiative as unprecedented in the state.
The teams also commended the Executive Secretary of the agency, Pharmacist Salamat Onize Ibrahim, alongside warehouse officers and other staff, for their prompt response to hospital demands through the online requisition platform and improved transportation system.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring constant availability of drugs in the state. It also said it would continue to participate in pool procurement and group purchasing systems with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Nigeria under the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN) to guarantee quality, affordable and accessible medicines.
