The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the collapse of the drug revolving funds scheme of the federal Government
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion titled, “Collapse Revolving Funds and Indebtedness of Federal Health Institutions to the Pharmaceutical Firms in Nigeria.”
It was sponsored by the trio of Hon. Adedayo Samuel Adesola, Hon. Amos Magaji Gwamna and Hon. Regina Akume at the plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas
The House mandated the Committee on Health institutions to carry out the comprehensive investigation and report back within four weeks for further legislative actions.
While moving the motion, the lawmakers said that the House noted that the Drug Revolving Funds Scheme, created as a result of the Essential Drug Act, was to address challenges of the perennial out of stock syndrome of drugs in public health institutions
It also noted that the Drugs Revolving Funds scheme was initially successful, but has been mutilated by hospital management, resulting in pharmaceutical firms owing N18 billion in 2021 and N30 billion in 2023.
The House said it was aware of the existence of the Drugs Revolving Funds (DRF), a National Contingency Plan designed to tackle the menace of out-of-stock syndrome in public pharmacy department and ensure that federal health institutions are adequately stocked with essential drugs for medically challenged Nigerians.
The House was cognizant that a well-run Drugs Revolving Funds tackled the menace of the out-of-stock syndromes in public pharmacy department.
“The DRF scheme of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi (NOHI) which was flagship over a decade ago gave birth to a pharmacy house worth over N300 million in 2014 without a collapse of the DRF programme because the management of the hospital at the time gave the much-needed cooperation.
“The House worried that this laudable initiative has been abused over a period of time through the accumulation of unpaid supplies from pharmaceutical firm under this funding arrangement, culminating in its eventual collapse.
“The House was concerned that the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria has called on the past administration to probe the activities of the National Hospital, Igbobi affair in order to resuscitate the Drug Revolving Scheme.
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The House was cognizant that unless the collapse of the drug revolving fund is addressed, as a matter of urgency, further supplies of these essential drugs to Federal Health Institutions will remain a pipedream, thereby increasing pressure on the already struggling healthcare system.
When the motion was put into voice vote by the Speaker, It was unanimously supported by members.