ENUGU GOVT TO SET UP DRUG AGENCY

Enugu State Government has concluded plans to set up a drug management agency as part of efforts to provide qualitative drugs at affordable rates.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Moses Otiji, made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu, on Wednesday.

'When inaugurated, the agency will ensure that drugs sold in the state pass through the Central Medical Store before being sold to the public,' he said.

Otiji added that government would also set up a monitoring team to forestall the diversion of the drugs by operators of the drug agency.

'These are part of plans to complement the Drug Revolving Fund, designed to make drugs available and affordable to the people,' he said.

He disclosed that two officials of the ministry, who had been allegedly running parallel drug stores in some communities, had been arrested.

On the recent outbreak of cholera in Uduma community, Aninri LGA, Otiji said the problem had been brought under control with intensified provision of water supply to the area.

The permanent secretary said that Enugu was adjudged the best in the South-East in the coverage of the just-concluded second phase of immunisation against polio and other child-killer diseases.

He said that government reactivated the Directly Observed Treatment Stop for the treatment of Tuberculosis.