By Lawal Dogara, Kaduna

Kaduna State House of Assembly has passed two bills for the establishment of state Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency and State Primary Health Care Agency.

The agencies would have governing boards whose members would be appointed by the state governor from the ministries of Health, Justice and Finance as well as medical, Nursing and Pharmacy professions, among others.

Reading the bills on the floor of the house last week, the Speaker Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Ikara said the two related agencies would have a representative from each of the three senatorial districts in the state.

He said with the passage of the bill establishing the State Drugs and Medical Supplies Management Agency, all public health institutions in the state would henceforth purchase and procure drugs or medical supplies from the agency except where such drugs and medical supplies were not readily available, or in an emergency situation.

According to him the law empowers the said agency to manufacture, select, quantify, source, store, sell and supply drugs to all public health institutions in the state and the 23 local government areas of the state.

The Speaker further explained that the Primary Health Care Agency was to promote and monitor the implementation of health plans at various levels of the state primary health care services, as well as develop sound database for effective planning, implementation and supervision of all primary health care activities.

Other functions of the agency include overseeing the running of comprehensive health centres, primary health centres, primary health clinics and such other primary health care facilities in the state as may be determined by the governor, and promotion of productive health services, among others.

Speaking in an interview with the newsmen the Speaker further explained that the passage of these bills would greatly help toward enhancing the health sector in the state.