The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute, has flagged off the construction of the warehouse at the Federal Medical Stores, Oshodi, Lagos, on 27/08/2015.
At the ground breaking ceremony, the Permanent Secretary, stated that the warehouse will provide adequate storage of essential medicines and Health products in Nigeria.
In his Statement, Mr. Awute informed that the store in Lagos will serve as the only central storage hub for health products procured by the ministry, local, International Organizations and (NGOs) working in partnership with Federal Ministry of Health.
Mr. Awute stressed that the partnership is in tune with the National Strategic Health Development Plan (2010-2015) as one of its principal objectives. He emphasized that the project will enhance the delivery of the Ministry’s Mandate and improve healthcare in Nigeria.
While thanking the United States Government, the Global Fund, Clinton Foundation, UNFPA and Bill and Melinda Gates, the Permanent Secretary affirmed that the partners have been offering valuable support to the Ministry.
He informed that Federal Ministry of Health with partners has decided to execute the projects in two phases.
He said that the First phase will involve the renovation and upgrading of four cluster warehouse at the Federal Medical Store, Oshodi. This project, he explained, was completed and delivered in 2013.The Second phase will see to the construction from scratch of six standard Pharmaceutical grade of warehouse, three each, in Lagos and the Premier Medical store, Abuja.
Earlier, the Director, Department of Food and Drugs Services, Pharm. Gloria Chukwumah, said that medicines need to keep properly to maintain quality and efficacy, there is increasing demand for storage space due to population increase, she added.
In her remark, the Acting U.S. Consul-General, Mrs. Dehab Ghebread, said that Nigeria as a country of about 170 million people had challenges in the storage and distribution of healthy drugs.
She pointed out “The challenge for government in Nigeria is to have reliable quality drugs across the 36 states and the recognition of that necessitated the need of this facility”.
Mrs. Ghebread added that “it will be a facility in partnership with Nigeria Government, States and Private sector, The Prefabricated building will also take into consideration, climatic system which is reliable and logistics,’’ she said.
Ezeaja Ikem
Principal Information Officer (Press)
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