By Yunusa Isa, Gombe

The Gombe State Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency (GODMA) has organized a one day training and orientation course for Ward Development Committee Chairmen (WDCs) from the 114 political wards of the state.

Speaking while flagging off the training, the State’s Commissioner for Health Dr Habu Ɗahiru said the move is geared towards ensuring availability and effective management of drugs across all primary healthcare facilities in the 114 wards of the state.

Represented by the Director Pharmaceutical Services, Pharmacist Philimon Idi Sokyes, Dr Ɗahiru said the committees will ensure only genuine and qualitative drugs are delivered to their healthcare facilities and sold on affordable price approved by the state government.

In an address of welcome, the Executive Secretary GODMA Pharmacist Caleb Faransa, charged the participants to pay much attention on the training for maximum benefits, and put the knowledge gained into practice.

While highlighting the role of the WDCs on effective healthcare service delivery, Pharmacist Faransa charged them to effectively interface between the State government and their communities to ensure 24/7 availability of drugs in the state’s primary healthcare facilities.

In their respective goodwill messages, the representative of the Executive Secretaries GoHealth Malam Tanimu Umar, the representative of the Executive Secretaries Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Abubakar Alhaji, and the representatives of GODMA Governing Board Alhaji Umar Usman Muhammad and the representative of the World Health Organization appreciated GODMA for the training, a development they said will go a long way in addressing the hitherto lingering drug shortages in the state’s health facilities.

Speaking on behalf of the participants, the State Chairman Ward Development Committees Umar Usman Muhammad, assured of their commitments to ensuring smooth purchase, delivery and sell of not only quality, but affordable drugs provided by GODMA for patients in their various wards across the state.

He affirmed their commitments to duty, assuring not to fail GODMA and all other stakeholders.