By: Mohamed Sahr
In an effort to enhance operational standards and accountability, the Managing Director of the National Medical Supply Agency (NMSA) has announced the distribution of $2.5 million worth of free healthcare commodities to vulnerable individuals, including children, across the country’s twenty-four government hospitals.
The announcement was made during a press briefing on Wednesday, 2nd April 2025, at the NMSA headquarters in Freetown.
Jatu Abdulai, Managing Director of the National Medical Supply Agency, stated that the first phase of the free healthcare distribution, worth $2.5 million, commenced on 28th March 2025. Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Ola During Children’s Hospital were the starting points of this initiative.
Madam Abdulai highlighted that NMSA is the primary responsible body within the Ministry of Health for the procurement, warehousing, and distribution of medical commodities to all public health facilities in the country.
She mentioned that the integrated distribution of medical commodities, valued at $3 million, focuses on treating critical illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. This distribution process concluded in February of this year.
Madam Abdulai emphasized that the free healthcare distribution stream and the integrated distribution stream contain different types of medical commodities. She explained that consumption data plays a crucial role in determining the quantity of commodities being used and forecasting the needs for the upcoming months. “The Directorate of Pharmaceutical Services, a policy body, is responsible for collecting this data and assessing the required needs,” she said.
Madam Abdulai also noted that communication plays a vital role in the distribution process. “NMSA regularly communicates with various stakeholders, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, donor partners, the Office of National Security, and Civil Society Organizations,” she affirmed.
She confirmed that the agency had recently delivered essential medical supplies to the 16 medical stores across the country. This distribution, supported by the Global Fund in partnership with the Ministry of Health, aims to combat critical diseases, including AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Additionally, she affirmed that three more distributions are planned for the upcoming year.
Furthermore, Madam Abdulai mentioned that NMSA employs various monitoring strategies, with a strong emphasis on sensitization and awareness for the distribution of medical commodities to both public and private health facilities.
Ansumana Kamara, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at NMSA, stated that the primary focus of the evaluation process is to ensure that daily utilization of the commodities is maximized. He emphasized the importance of periodic follow-ups across various districts.