Benue govt advocates for regional pooled procurement framework for essential medicines.

From Gabriel Agbo, Abuja 
 Benue State has joined other North Central states in efforts to establish a pooled procurement framework for essential medicines.

Towards this end, the State seeking a system that can improve supply reliability, procurement efficiency and access to critical health commodities across its health facilities.

The State’s position was advanced by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ejeh Ogwuche, at the Market Shaping through Pooled Procurement (MSPP) Regional Commodity Prioritization Workshop for the North Central Zone held in Abuja, Wednesday.

Dr. Ogwuche, who attended the two-day workshop in company of the Deputy Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharm. Timothy Mmanger, and Head of Central Medical Stores, Mrs. Ada Oyaje, said reliable access to essential medicines was fundamental to effective healthcare delivery.

Organised under the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) in partnership with InSight Health Consulting, the workshop brought together Federal and State stakeholders to validate priority commodities, identify implementation bottlenecks and develop a prioritised tracer-commodity list for the proposed pooled procurement pilot.

The health Commissioner said Benue viewed pooled procurement as more than a purchasing arrangement, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen medicines security, improve procurement efficiency and make commodity availability more predictable across health facilities.

According to him, the initiative aligns with the health agenda of Governor Hyacinth Alia, particularly the administration’s focus on strengthening the health system and ensuring that healthcare investments translate into quality and sustainable services for citizens.

Dr. Ogwuche stressed that medicines security must cover the entire supply chain, from procurement and supply to storage, distribution and availability at the point of service, adding that the State was committed to ensuring that healthcare resources produce tangible benefits for its people.

He further said Benue was actively participating in the process to ensure that its peculiar health needs and commodity priorities are reflected in the emerging pooled procurement model, which he said should be sustainable, transparent, responsive to State needs and capable of improving regular medicines availability.

The Commissioner’s participation, alongside senior pharmaceutical and medical-store officials, underscored the State’s effort to combine policy leadership with technical expertise. in shaping reforms aimed at strengthening health commodity procurement and supply.

The engagement represents another step in Benue’s broader effort to build a resilient health system in which investments in infrastructure, personnel, medicines and service delivery translate into dependable healthcare for its citizens.