By Farouk I. Musa
When he was appointed as the Director-General of Kano State Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency by His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on July 17, 2024, Pharm. Gali Sule found the organization in a very deplorable condition.
Challenges
First of all, the DG took over the mantle of leadership of the Agency that was heavily indebted by suppliers. He inherited the accumulated debts left by the previous administration up to the tune of N1.2 billion.
Apart from the debt, most of the infrastructure at DMCSA were decayed -- the stores were in dire need of general renovation, offices need facelift and furniture, and the complex of the Agency's need to be paved and provided with enough light for security purpose during the night hours.
Thirdly, with a mere 30 percent, the number of healthcare facilities in the state that were enrolled for the DRF (Drug Revolving Fund) scheme was very low and unimpressive as well.
Another challenge that bedeviled the Agency when Pharm. Gali Sule assumed office was a dearth of vital equipment necessary for drug testing at a quality control laboratory located at Drug Manufacturing Unit (DMU) of the Agency.
With these major challenges and other less pressing issues, Pharm. Sule began piloting the affairs of DMCSA as its captain, navigating his way with the sole aim to take it to Promise Land."
The Success Story
To start with, at the beginning of his reign, the DG, with the help and support of his management team, resolved to settle the inherited debt over a period of time.
With this determination, however. in one year, over 60 percent of the total debts of N1.2 billion, inherited from the previous administration, were paid.
Another milestone recorded is the substantial increase in the availability of drugs and medical consumables at health facilities throughout the state.
That success, however, is not limited to the availability of the drugs, but the quality, as the Agency is procuring and supplying healthcare centers with high-quality, registered drugs and medical consumables that are affordable to the patients.
Additionally, due to Pharm. Gali's hard work and commitment, the number of public healthcare facilities, both primary, secondary, and tertiary, covered by the Agency, has significantly risen from 78% to over 95%.
Five: Kano State Government, together with the Federal Government and UNICEF, constructed a world standard PharmaGrade Warehouse, which will be commissioned soon.
In the same vein, the stores at the Agency were totally refurbished, as financed by Medicines San Frontiers (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Border.
Seven: To ensure the quality of drugs, the laboratory has been upgraded to the standard level by providing the needed equipment for necessary tests.
Lastly, for more prudent and accountability in the Agencies’ operations, some utilities were installed, including solar street light within the premises of the Agency, the installation of CCTV cameras in all the stores and the complex of the Agency, and also a solar system lighting was installed in all the 4 zonal warehouses of Dambatta, Gwarzo, Gaya, and Rano.
