By Martha Yasi
The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has obtained approval of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to spend over 10 billion Naira on the procurement of assorted products to enhance accessibility and affordability of health commodities and services.
The Minister, Professor Ali Pate, stated this in Abuja while briefing State House correspondents on the approval after today’s meeting of FEC.
“The first category was the third line antiretroviral drugs. A few weeks ago, we approved the first line antiretroviral drugs, second and third line for those who are resistant, that there is putting forth resources, almost 997 million naira worth of contract to procure the third line antiretroviral drugs for those who are HIV infected. This is in line with the President’s aspiration to ensure that Nigerians get access to quality 
health services and that they can afford and for which we’ll be making steady progress”, he explained.
The second category, according to him, is the procurement approved for locally-manufactured diagnostic kits for diabetes, which he noted, is a major issue in the country.
“It’s among the fastest growing segment. We have lots of our population suffering from diabetes, and some are not even aware they have diabetes. In addition, we are having a local company for the first time, one of the first in the continent which will manufacture this diagnostic test kits in Nigeria”, the Minister said.
Professor Pate said out of the products to be purchased, are glucose monitoring devices, to be distributed across the country, with which diabetics will know their sugar levels.
“The health workers will be trained through primary health care centers and other facilities, and those commodities, we believe will bring relief to many Nigerians who are poor and vulnerable and cannot otherwise afford it. So that’s also what was approved by the Federal Executive Council”, the Minister added.
He said President Tinubu had previously indicated that the Ministry would need to have a medical relief programme to lower the costs of other types of medical commodities, like antibiotics, anti-hypertensives and anti-diabetic medications, beyond the test kits.
“Those are also worth 4.5 billion naira, which will be procured and distributed to help lower the cost. These are also commodities that are manufactured by local manufacturers here in Nigeria, so we are beginning to pull the demand and patronise our local manufacturers”, the Minister said.
Professor Pate explained that the second approval was the procurement of a mobile X-ray machine for the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.
He said inclusive of the package was the rehabilitation and equipping of a computerised tomography CAT scan, a 64 slice CT scan, amounting to 2.1 billion Naira.
“So that the diagnostic services and the clinical care Nigerians will receive in that hospital will be of the highest quality that we can make it and it serves a referral not only in the state where it is located, but also in the region where it is located.
