Abuja: The Federal Government has launched a nationwide distribution of medical equipment and essential drugs valued at over N23 billion, aiming to fortify the country’s primary healthcare system. The initiative was inaugurated by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, in Abuja, as part of ongoing health sector reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Prof. Pate emphasized the importance of the initiative for improving healthcare delivery across the nation. He described it as a ‘promise kept’ and warned against any diversion of the items, which are crucial for revitalizing the primary healthcare system. Pate assured that any mismanagement or diversion of resources would face strict actions, highlighting the ministry’s collaboration with the primary healthcare development agency and security agencies like EFCC, ICPC, and NPF to ensure accountability.
Pate stated that the distribution would enhance safer childbirth, access to vaccines, and treatment for common ailments such as malaria and hypertension at the community level. He lamented the previous non-functionality of primary healthcare centers, which forced women to travel long distances for deliveries, often resulting in fatalities and missed vaccinations for children. The current initiatives aim to bring quality health services closer to people, irrespective of their location or status, while also restoring public trust in primary healthcare facilities.
Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), hailed the intervention as a significant step towards fulfilling the Federal Government’s health sector agenda. He revealed that over 500 revitalized Primary Health Centres across the 36 states and the FCT would receive the consignment of 56 categories of equipment and 80 types of essential medicines, valued at more than N23 billion, funded by the Federal Government and development partners.
Aina pointed out that these distributions build on earlier interventions, including maternal and neonatal commodities, cold-chain equipment, and solar power installations in over a thousand PHCs nationwide. He detailed that the equipment and medicines, worth over N14 billion and N9 billion respectively, would be distributed freely across the federation. This support aims to reduce maternal mortality and address reproductive health gaps, with over 14,000 women already benefiting from emergency obstetric care.
In collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, additional kits and essential materials are being provided to ensure effective healthcare service delivery. Over 69,000 frontline health workers have been trained, while states like Kaduna and Ekiti have recruited additional skilled birth attendants and community health workers under the Federal Government’s project hope initiative. Aina encouraged states to further invest in staffing and equipping their health facilities to complement the Federal Government’s efforts.
Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, National Coordinator of the Maternal and Newborn Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII), praised the Federal Government and NPHCDA for their commitment to safeguarding the lives of women and children. He reiterated his organization’s dedication to ensuring that the initiatives reach all beneficiaries.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the distributed medical equipment includes heat ovens, incubators, diagnostic tools like binocular microscopes, autoclave machines, delivery beds, and portable ultrasound machines. Health commodities range from antimicrobials, antimalarials, analgesics, uterotonics, hematinics, anti-infectives, and medications for blood pressure, blood sugar, and family planning.
