Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the distribution of free medical commodities and equipment donated under Project CURE to hospitals across the state, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Katsina on Thursday, Radda said the intervention was part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the state’s healthcare system through strategic partnerships and increased investment in the health sector.
He said the medicines and medical equipment would improve service delivery, boost the capacity of hospitals and provide healthcare workers with the tools needed to deliver quality services.
The governor disclosed that his administration had increased funding for the state’s Free Medicare Programme by 207 per cent, enabling more pregnant women, children under five and other eligible residents to benefit from free healthcare services.
According to him, the programme is aimed at reducing the financial burden of healthcare on vulnerable families while ensuring that every resident has access to quality medical care regardless of income or location.
Radda also highlighted reforms at the Katsina State Drugs and Medical Supplies Agency (DMSA), including the completion of a pharmaceutical production line, expansion of logistics through the acquisition of additional delivery trucks and the commencement of the Drug Revolving Fund programme in the state’s 361 upgraded primary healthcare centres.
He added that the government had approved the recruitment of additional personnel to strengthen pharmaceutical production, warehousing, quality assurance, logistics and inventory management.
The governor commended Project CURE for its partnership with the state, describing the collaboration as one that would significantly improve healthcare delivery. He urged beneficiary health facilities to ensure proper management and utilisation of the donated medicines and equipment.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Drugs and Medical Supplies Agency, Pharmacist Fatima Shuaibu, said the agency had recorded significant progress since Governor Radda assumed office in 2023.
She revealed that the agency’s workforce had grown from 34 to 70 personnel, while its Drug Revolving Fund had expanded by 400 per cent. She added that the number of health facilities covered by the programme had increased from 50 to about 200, representing a 900 per cent expansion.
Shuaibu also said the agency had established pharmaceutical-grade warehouses and commenced the production of extemporaneous pharmaceutical products, which now account for about 10 per cent of its internally generated revenue.
She noted that digital reforms, including an electronic medicine ordering system, had improved efficiency, while additional vehicles had enhanced the delivery of medicines to healthcare facilities across the state.
According to her, the National Product Supply Chain Management Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health recently upgraded the agency’s performance rating from the “Emerging” category to “Maturing – Not Ready to Integrate” after it scored 71 per cent in a national assessment.
She further disclosed that the agency’s pharmaceutical production plant was nearing completion and would begin producing six oral dosage formulations before the end of the year, a development expected to improve the availability of quality medicines and generate additional revenue for the state.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal; the Commissioner for Health, Musa Adamu Funtua; the General Manager of the Katsina State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Nasir Mohammed Shehu, and other senior government officials and stakeholders in the health sector.
