NMSA SUPPLY CHAIN REVIEW WITH DISTRICT STRUCTURES
The National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) with support from Global Fund has concluded two days Supply Chain review engagement, targeting key stakeholders that include District Medical Officers (DMOs), District Logistics Officers (DLOs), Medical Superintendents, District and Hospital Pharmacists as key actors within the supply chain at district level.
This review meeting was geared towards enhancing better understanding and clearly define roles at district level thus, enabling the National Medical Supplies Agency implement one of its key mandates of distribution of drugs and medical supplies.
The engagement according to the Managing Director of the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA) Jatu Abdulai, is a platform for dialogue with the entire districts supply chain teams including line supervisors, with the hope of ensuring that supply chain activities are successful.
The importance of such engagement cannot be over-emphasized owning to the fact that supply chain from the central level is mostly implemented at district level. Better understanding of roles, and the different processes involve would therefore help to address the many challenges and bottlenecks felt at district level.
The intention for the gathering the Managing Director of NMSA re-emphasized is, a platform for frank discussions on supply chain issues at hand, finding ways to addressing them while improving understanding of the roles of each player in the chain.
The discussions from the two days engagement identified practical examples that has to do with delays, stockout at district and facilities, proper utilization of stocks while also recommending solutions to making supply chain efficient thereby, enhancing effective health service delivery throughout Sierra Leone.