By Theresa Kef Sesay
The National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) has commenced its quarterly nationwide distribution of free healthcare drugs and medical supplies across the country. It was understood that the distribution exercise which started in the western area on Wednesday, the 22nd of July 2020 is expected to last for over 6 weeks. It will be followed by the 3rd quarter distribution of Global Fund supported commodities to aid in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB/Leprosy and Malaria.
Despite its focus on the COVID-19 response as the medical logistics pillar lead, the Agency commenced its routine nationwide distribution of drugs and medical supplies in a bid to continue the New Direction Government’s fight towards improving maternal and child health care indicators in the country.
Speaking to newsmen over the weekend, the Managing Director of NMSA, Dr. Lawrence A. Sandi said that it is the belief of his team at the Agency that they can multi-task the two important Government priorities – fighting the COVID-19 global pandemic on one hand, and providing routine drug and medical supply chain services across the country on the other.
Dr. Sandi intimated the Press that a variety of drugs, medical supplies and nutritional products are being distributed in this cycle; and these include drugs, consumables and other related commodities for key beneficiary groups of the Government’s Free Health Care (FHC) Initiative – pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under 5 years old, persons with disability and Ebola survivors. The team, he maintained, will initially distribute these products across all sixteen administrative districts in its first mile phase, and later target over one thousand, three hundred (1300) peripheral health units (PHUs) in chiefdoms, towns and villages across the country in its last mile distribution phase.
The Agency re-affirmed its commitment to the quarterly distribution of drugs and medical supplies, while also ensuring that their systems and processes will remain transparent and cost-effective. Dr. Sandi emphasized the agency’s zero-tolerance stance against any fraudulent activities aimed at diverting the much-needed commodities for the intended beneficiaries. He therefore urged all civil society organizations, community groups and individuals to remain alert to any reported acts of pilferage of these essential life-saving commodities.
It can be recalled that the New Direction Bio-led administration has made significant strides in enhancing the viability of the Free Health Care initiative; when in 2018 it began contributing funds for procurement of Free Health Care drugs and medical supplies. The initiative, prior to 2018, was solely funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Established by an Act of Parliament in 2017, the National Medical Supplies Agency was created by an Act of parliament with the exclusive responsibility of procuring, storing and distributing drugs and medical supplies in a transparent and cost-effective manner for and on behalf of all public institutions throughout Sierra Leone. The agency was operationalized in September 2018 with the appointment of the Managing Director and his deputy.
Having gone through the different stages of its transition process, there is an emerging view that the drugs and medical supply chain landscape is beginning to witness innovative changes with broader participation of stakeholder groups, increased transparency and the regular distribution of drugs and medical supplies across the country.
