The Yobe Drugs and Medical Consumables Management Agency on Thursday said it spent over N600 million in procurement of various drugs and medical consumables.

Abdul-aziz Mohammed, Executive Secretary of the agency, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said the agency had stocked drugs and consumables in Damaturu, Potiskum, Nguru and Gashua.

Mr Mohammed, a pharmacist, listed the categories of the drugs to include antibiotics, antimalarial, anti diabetic, anti hypertension, reagents, emergency drugs, among others.

The executive secretary said the state in collaboration with Save One Million Lives Project and Multi Sectorial Crises Recovery Project had invested over N400 million in various activities of the agency.

He said the amount was spent on procurement of vehicles, equipment, furniture, upgrading and refurbishing of warehouses, among others.

Mr Mohammed said the agency was established in Dec. 2019 with the objective of procuring, storing and distributing qualitative drugs and medical consumables to healthcare centres at affordable prices.

The agency, he said, is supplying the products to 235 primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare centres across the state.

He said the goal of the agency was to encourage all healthcare centres in the state to patronise it to enable them to obtain genuine and qualitative drugs.

“Although the agency was established by an Act of Yobe House of Assembly, we believe its not just the law but making people feel comfortable with what we are doing for us to deliver the services.

“We don’t want to sanction anyone; we prefer sensitisation of community and religious leaders and the facilities themselves on the need to patronise us,” he said.

Mr Mohammed commended Governor Mai Mala Buni and state Commissioner for Health, Dr Lawan Gana, for their roles in the recent employment of 23 pharmacists to support the agency and other healthcare centres.