FEC strikes to deal with excessive drug prices, approves central procurement platform

The Federal Government Council (FEC) on Monday deliberated extensively on the excessive value of medical medication within the nation and resolved to evaluate components making them unaffordable for the typical Nigerian.

Briefing newsmen on the finish of the assembly, presided over by President Bola Tinubu on the Council Chambers within the State Home, Abuja, Coordinating Minister of Well being and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, stated the Council permitted the institution of Medipool for aggressive pricing and provide of important medicines throughout the nation.

His phrases: “In the present day, the Federal Government Council thought-about two components that have been associated to well being particularly, amongst different issues. The primary is consistent with the course of the President for Nigerians to have decrease value of medicine and wider entry to important medicines, high quality entry. This has been work that we’ve got been endeavor for a lot of months. In actual fact, for nearly a yr and a half, authorities has been attempting alternative ways to cut back the price, as a result of we all know Nigerians have been hurting due to rising value of prescribed drugs.

“It’s not restricted to Nigeria. As chances are you’ll bear in mind, even international locations so far as the US are putting government orders to cut back the price of prescribed drugs. However consistent with the presidential initiative to unlock the healthcare worth chain, and the chief order, which the President signed in June 2024, which offered incentives for native manufacturing by taking away tax tariffs for import of uncooked supplies, in order that we will encourage our native producers.

“There’s a component of that government order which is to permit us to form the market by aggregating the demand within the Nigerian well being area and channel that demand to encourage our native suppliers.

“In the present day, Council permitted Medipool. It’s a gaggle buying group for aggressive pricing and to be a provider of important medicines and healthcare merchandise throughout Nigeria, by the federal authorities’s intervention, the Fundamental Well being Care Provision Fund, but additionally ultimately exterior that, by federal tertiary hospitals, in order that as a purchaser, we will negotiate decrease costs.

“So it’s utilizing the monopsony energy of presidency as a big purchaser of these commodities to barter decrease costs after which channel these commodities. And the scope consists of, however is just not restricted to, procurement planning, distribution monitoring, provide chain logistics administration, high quality assurance, regulatory compliance, in addition to making certain that native producers are supported and import substitution and the monetary administration and fee techniques, in addition to capability constructing, coaching, and contingency planning to make sure regular availability of important medication of the standard that Nigerians can profit from at a decrease value by a public-private partnership.

“And that automobile, Medipool, has been vetted by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Fee, has been benchmarked with different world group buying organizations, together with Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and lots of different international locations. And we imagine that this can be a main intervention that can form the home market, in order that the demand for high quality prescribed drugs could be channeled in a manner that lowers value, additionally improves high quality, and stimulates native manufacturing.”

The Minister additionally disclosed that FEC gave its approval for the procurement and set up of a N2.3 billion cardiac catheterization machine for Usman Dan Fodio College Instructing Hospital in Sokoto.

The machine, when put in, will assist the hospital present prognosis and therapy companies for coronary heart and blood vessel sufferers.

Based on Pate: “The second merchandise was the award of contract for the procurement and set up of a cardiac catheterization machine by the Usman Dan Fodio College Instructing Hospital in Sokoto within the quantity of N2.3 billion, basically to assist the college hospital present prognosis and therapy companies for coronary heart and blood vessel issues, coronary heart assaults, irregular coronary heart charges. These are very difficult, very severe medical points.

“The college hospital in Sokoto will now have this functionality, which can serve the inhabitants in Sokoto State, the North West geopolitical zone of our nation, and certainly the nation. It should save lives, but additionally contribute in the direction of reversing outbound medical tourism, as a result of Nigerians can have the ability to entry companies which both they weren’t in a position to earlier than.

“That is a crucial step, another amongst a number of different interventions that’s additional supporting the strengthening of the federal educating hospitals to coach and to offer high quality service as a part of the transformation of our well being sector below the management of Mr President.”