Ondo partners foundation to tackle drug shortages in health facilities

By Boye Oyeyemi

The Ondo State Government, in partnership with the Life Spring Development Foundation, has commenced measures to reduce shortages of essential medical commodities in public health facilities across the state.

The initiative was announced during a two-day Commodity Forecasting and Quantification Workshop held in Akure for members of the Logistics Management Coordination Unit and other health sector stakeholders.

Speaking at the workshop, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Banji Ajaka, represented by the Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Pharmacist Adewale Olanrewaju, described the training as an investment in strengthening the state’s health supply system.

Ajaka urged participants to apply the skills acquired during the workshop, stressing that accurate forecasting and quantification were critical to ensuring the availability of life-saving commodities and improving health care delivery.

Similarly, the Director of Family Health, Dr. Isaac Aladeniyi, said the training would enable health workers to make evidence-based decisions on commodity planning and procurement.

Aladeniyi explained that improved forecasting would help the government minimise wastage, optimise available resources and prevent shortages of essential commodities in health facilities.

In her remarks, the state Team Lead of LSDF, Mercy Okeyode, said the training was designed to strengthen the capacity of personnel responsible for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health commodities.

Okeyode added that the initiative would improve commodity distribution, reduce stock-outs and wastage, and ultimately strengthen health care delivery and maternal health outcomes across Ondo State.