The Kano State government has vowed to curtail the spread and use of fake and counterfeit drugs to safeguard the good health of the residents in the state.
This was announced by the Director General of the Kano State Drug and Medical Consumable Supply Agency, Pharmacist Ghali Sule, during an interview with members of the Association of Kano State Online Journalists (ASKOJ) at his office.
The DG explained that all measures have been taken with the collaboration of all relevant stakeholders in a more coordinated manner to eliminate the lingering spread of fake and substandard drugs.
“Very soon, the Kano State government will establish and inaugurate the task force committee that will sanitize the entire drug distribution across the state, including the operation of the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) at Dangwauro,” he highlighted.
“The responsibility of the committee to be inaugurated will include, among others, sanitizing the drug distribution across the state, the activities of the wholesalers, retailers, and the manufacturers, and whoever is partaking in the drug business. The committee has the mandate to regulate their activities.”
On the issue of shortages of drugs across the public hospitals in the state, which is believed to be paving the way for the spread of fake drugs, Pharmacist Ghali said that all measures have been put in place to immediately address drug shortages in Kano state hospitals.
Revealing further, the DG said that the Agency has, upon his assumption into office, inherited about N1.2 billion in debt for drug supply from the previous government, which crippled the agency’s mandate of sourcing and supplying state-owned hospitals with qualitative and affordable drugs, thereby reducing the supply to about 30 percent.
“As I am speaking now, with the effort put in place between my office, the Commissioner for Health, and the Suppliers, we immediately went to work and improved drug supply to state hospitals to about 60 to 70 percent through the agreement reached to pay off the debt in 12 months,” the DG added.
He stated that presently, the agency under his leadership has settled for two months and hopes to settle the remaining 10 months as agreed between the two parties.
The Director General revealed that, with this development, the agency is expected to take delivery of a new drug consignment next week, which is expected to boost drug supply to all state-owned government hospitals to about 90 percent, while frantic efforts are being made for a hundred percent supply.
