In a major step toward making healthcare more affordable, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has endorsed a new group purchasing scheme, Medipool.
Medipool is aimed at reducing the cost of medicines and essential medical supplies across Nigeria.
The announcement followed Monday’s FEC meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
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The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, said the Medipool initiative is designed to streamline procurement and create a national supply system that will enable bulk purchasing for better pricing.
“Medipool will function as a group purchasing organisation that brings together the demand from basic healthcare centres and federal tertiary hospitals,” Pate explained.
“This allows the government to negotiate more favourable prices by leveraging its position as a major buyer.”
He noted that the platform would initially be driven by the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, but would expand to cover federal tertiary institutions and potentially other partners.
The scope of the initiative, Pate added, covers procurement planning, distribution monitoring, logistics, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance.
It will also involve support for local pharmaceutical manufacturers, import substitution, financial management systems, and staff training.
“This is about ensuring that Nigerians have access to essential medicines that are both high in quality and affordable,” the minister said.
“We studied successful models in countries like Kenya, South Africa, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia to guide the development of Medipool.”
In addition to the Medipool approval, the FEC awarded a contract worth N2.3 billion for the purchase of a modern cardiac catheterisation machine for the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.
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According to Pate, the high-tech equipment will allow the hospital to perform advanced diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for heart diseases, including treating heart attacks and arrhythmias.
“This facility will serve not just Sokoto State, but the entire North West region. It will enhance our capacity to provide critical care and reduce the need for Nigerians to seek such treatments abroad,” he said.
