Kano: DMCSA Inaugurates Internal Committee on DMU Upgrade

In his preparedness to taking prompt action on ensuring timely progression of the Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA), the Director General of the Agency, Pharm. Gali Sule has inaugurated an internal committee that will study the recommendations of the committee on Drugs Manufacturing Unit upgrade.

This is contained in a statement Signed on Friday by Ibrahim Abdullahi, Information Officer Kano state Ministry of Health.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf had last week received the report of the Prof. Bashir Chedi led committee on the upgrade of the Drugs Manufacturing Unit of the DMCSA.

Speaking, Pharm. Gali Sule said that the committee was internally constituted purposely to look at the recommendations of the previous committee for possible implementation at the Agency level, admitting that some of the recommendations are beyond the Agency to implement but at the level of the Ministry, while others should be implemented at the higher level of the state government.

The Director General highlighted that boosting local production of drugs through upgrading of the DMU is part of the agenda of His Excellency the Executive Governor Kano State Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf when elected into office, in fact it was his campaign promises which he is auspiciously fulfilling.

Pharm. Gali emphasized that DMU is the most important unit as far as DMSCA is concerned even though the operations there is very low, hence the dire need for upgrading the unit so that it functions effectively according to standard.

“There are many gateways and opportunities coming up, if we miss definitely we are going to miss out chances that are coming to the state.

“The Federal Ministry of Health has plan this year to support states that have functional drugs manufacturing units. We don’t want Kano to be left out”, said the Director General.

He hinted that the unit needs to be upgraded because it is serving as a training centre where universities and other tertiary institutions send their students to learn, adding that even the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists are equally sending their students to be trained in the unit, therefore its standard needs to be reviewed and upgraded.

Pharm. Gali then charged members of the committee to work assiduously on the assignment they were entrusted with as all were chosen based on merit and their track records of service.

He called on them to consider the assignment as part of service to humanity as the Agency wants to standardize its operations, further urging them to also bear in mind that one of the mandates of the DMCSA is sourcing or manufacturing drugs that are qualitative and affordable, and this cannot be done without having a standard manufacturing unit.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Pharm. Nasir Jibril Rikadawa, cheered Pharm. Gali for the heartwarming achievements that he was able to record within a shortest period of time that reawakened the operations of the Agency.

He assured of their readiness to work unwaveringly according to the term of references given them in a bid to contribute their quota towards upgrading the unit to achieve set objectives.

Other members of the committee include Pharm. Usman Saminu, Pharm. Nafisa M. Bashir, Pharm. Abdulaziz Hamisu and Pharm. Fatima S. Abdullahi.

The rest are Kabiru Musa Gwarzo, Zainab Ismail Zakariyya, Maryam Abdulkadir, PT Mahmud Umbara and Dahiru Ibrahim Malami to serve as the Secretary