By Asma’u Ahmad
The Executive Director, Grassroots Development and Advocacy Centre, Mr. Tunde Salman, has appealed to the Kwara State Government to provide funds for the procurement of drugs needed in public health care facilities in the state.
Mr. Salman made the appeal in a press statement made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
He noted that patients and their relatives were often frustrated by non-availability of essential drugs in government hospitals. “This is symptomatic of other state owned healthcare centres visited by the NGO. The non-availability of essential drugs in the state’s healthcare facilities is taking its toll on the masses.
“This has forced the poor to patronise highly exorbitant private chemist stores and pharmacies thereby creating a deep cut into their little resources,” he stated.
According to him, the paltry N35 million earmarked for the procurement of drugs under the 2016 budget of the state is grossly inadequate to meet the drugs requirement of the state.
The director observed that the figure was far below the N595 million and N104.5 million allocated in the budget to procurement of vehicles in the governor’s office and the state Health Ministry.
He urged the government to set up a Drug Revolving Fund Scheme, to ensure sustainable provision of essential drugs for secondary and primary healthcare facilities in the state.
