By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

Kaduna State Government has become the first State to deploy drones for medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas in Nigeria.

Pharmacist Aisha Isyaku, Executive Secretary, Kaduna State Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA), disclosed this during an advocacy meeting in her office in Kaduna, on Tuesday, with a team from Maternal and Child Healthcare-Civil Society Partnership (MCH-CS Partnership) to ascertain the progress on improved drug supplies to hard-to-reach facilities in the state.

She said the drones would cover medical supplies of essential drugs and vaccines to 108 facilities in hard-to-reach areas of Kubau, Kaura and Lere Local Governments in the State.

“We shall start with deployment of 28 drones for medical supplies to hard-to-reach areas of Panbegua in Kubau LGA as soon as we obtain clearance from Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by next month (March 2022).

“Kaduna State will be the first to deploy the services of drones to supply drugs to hard-to-reach areas. Cross Rivers and Bayelsa will be the second and third states respectively,” the Executive Secretary said.

She added that Nigeria was the third African country to deploy the use of the ZIPLINE drones after Ghana and Rwanda.

On weather condition, she said the drone has real time kinetic technology that can withstand rain storm and wind with capacity to deliver 110 Kg per hour flying at an altitude of 400ft, covering 80 Km.

“Warehouse has been built, installations are in progress. We shall invite you to come back and witness this dynamic achievement in the health sector under Mallam Nasiru El-rufai,” she said.

On improved drug supplies, Pharmacist Aisha said the State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with five drug manufacturing companies to supply quality drugs at an affordable rate with agreement for payment within eight weeks, post-delivery.

While enumerating logistics as some of the challenges of KADHSMA, she solicited for CSO and media collaboration in sensitizing the public ahead of the new innovations of drug supplies in the state.

Responding, Mrs Dorcas Adeyemi, Chairperson MCH-CS Partnership, while commending the Kaduna State Government for the initiative, assured that CSO would monitor availability of drugs supplies at affordable rate and bring feedback on its findings.

She called on the state government to improve on logistics challenges of KADHSMA for smooth transportation of the drugs to facilities.

•PHOTO: A team from Maternal and Child Healthcare-Civil Society Partnership (MCH-CS Partnership) meeting with officials of Health Supplies Management Agency (KADHSMA) when MCH-CS Partnership paid advocacy visit to the later in Kaduna.PHOTO: GARBA MUHAMMAD