Gali: We’re paying N1.2bn debt to save Kano hospitals from drug shortage
The Director General, Kano State Drug and Medical Consumable Supply Agency, Pharmacist Gali Sule, said the new administration has begun payment of N1.2bn debt the immediate past government owed manufacturers.
According to Gali, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf administration inherited the debt that caused drug supply shortage of 70 per cent in the state owned hospitals and dispensaries, leaving patients with no option than buying prescribed medicines from prive pharmacies at high cost.
He made the disclosure on Monday while playing host to the executives of the Association of Kano Online Journalists, ASKOJ.
The Director General noted that upon his assumption in office, he discovered the agency was indebted to drug suppliers to the tune of N1.2 billion which crippled the agency’s mandate of sourcing and supplying state owned hospitals with qualitative and affordable drugs.
He said, since assumption of office , the new administration has improved drug supply to state hospitals to about 60 per cent as it began paying the debt.
Further, Pharmacist Gali said his Agency has enjoyed support from the State’s Commissioner of Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, who facilitated the restructuring of debt payment to 12 months.
Gali added that the Agency under his watch has paid the creditors over N200 million in two months, making it possible to get regular supply of the consumables.
Furthermore, Sule assured the public that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf administration is committed to improving the standard of healthcare delivery services in the state, adding that his Agency will not relent in its mandate of adequate supply of qualitative and affordable drugs to all its populace.
