FG Urges States to Create Budget Line for Logistics Management Coordinating Unit

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
Federal Government has urged state governments across the country to approve budget line of Logistics Management Coordinating Unit (LMCU), to carry out efficient coordination of supply chain of drugs and other health commodities from procurement warehousing, transportation to the end- users in the states.

This was made known when a team from National Supply Chain Integration Project (NSCIP) paid advocacy visit to the stakeholders in the health sector in Abeakuta Ogun State recently.

Nigerian Supply Chain Integration Project was initiated by the Federal Government and consortium of international donors and partners to bridge gaps and maintain uninterrupted supply system in the country.

In 2014, the National Council on Health (NCH) approved the establishment of Logistics Management Coordinating Unit at the state and local government levels to carry out proper coordination of supply chain of drugs in all the states of the federation. The programme had already covered 14 states.

In a bid to get full support of the programme in the remaining states, the Federal Ministry of Health dispatched advocacy teams to solicit for budget approval and release of funds for the Logistics Management Coordinating Unit in the states to adequately perform its functions effectively.

The technical leader of the team, Pharmacist Abdulhameed Wasilat, said that the LMCU would improve the supply chain process in the state adding that it would also coordinate the distribution of drugs to the end-users and would also generate data on the quantity and quality of drugs needed by various health facilities in the state.

She said LMCU would be updating the relevant stakeholders about the quantity of drugs available in the store and the need to procure more or otherwise.
At the State Ministry of Health, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye and the Permanent Secretary, OlatundeAigoro, expressed their total support to the programme.

The commissioner said that the state had LMCU structure on ground adding that his office would work with the Office of the Director, Pharmaceutical Service to provide the required facilities to the LMCU office.