During courtesy call of Health Ministry contingent to DG, PHC Agency
Charles Ekanem|11 October 2016
Director General Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu recently received Logistics Management Coordination Unit of Pharmaceutical Services, Ministry of Health led by Dr Eyo Nsa who was represented by Uket Uket, CMS Manager, SMOH. She expressed delight in their decision to work closely with the agency.
Dr Betta Edu said the team was doing a great job by profering new strategies to tackle the challanges the state faces in supply chain management. However, a lot needs to be done to improve supply chain management in the state. She pointed out that the logistic management of many drugs and commodities in the state is done by partners and this is not sustainable for us as a state. She stressed that the state needed to take ownership of the process. "the only way the unit can sustain their programs is through adequate capacity building of staff, proper monitoring and support to all supply chain activities to improve on logistics system performance", she said. She noted that the Agency will always play their pivotal role in ensuring data are forwarded to the unit for proper utilization in decision making.
For us at the agency, we are improving capacity of logistic staff, vehicle has been made available to various units like the state malaria elimination programme, immunisation unit, PHC department etc to help them with logistics of transporting commodities across the 1013 PHCs in Cross River state.
Finally, the erudite and charismatic DG tasked the unit to be more proficient in their new approach while assuring them of the support of His Excellency, Senator (Prof) Ben Ayade and the agency in carrying out their functions.
Speaking earlier, the coordinator of the program, Mr Cornel Adiele said Logistics Management Coordinating unit is a management structure comprising of the logistics component cutting across all health program areas of HIV & AIDS, TBL, Malaria, Reproductive Health/ Family Planning , Neglected Tropical Diseases, MCH, Vaccines, Nutrition and EDP.
"We have a responsibility which is to organize and monitor supply chain activities as well as to improve logistics system performance just as you noted. We also maximize customer service based on available resources, with linkages between different levels, organizations that functions within the supply chain", said Mr Adiele.
Mr Uket Uket, CMS Mgr representing Director Department of Pharmaceutical Services said their main aim of coming was to identify and share with the agency strategies towards continuous improvement in the supply chain management of health commodities in the state. We solicit for your support to achieve this activity.
Part of the LMCU team to the visit included Mrs Okoi Koton, CRSPHCDA Logistics Officer for the program and Mr Soribe Yaddeus, Consultant.
Charles Ekanem
Writes from Calabar
