The new National Medical Stores’ (NMS) state-of-the-art pharmaceuticals warehouse in Kajjansi off Entebbe road, Uganda to be operational by June. According to Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine the facility is expected to be completed and operational by end of June this year. “We inspected the construction site for the new Medicines and Vaccines Warehouse that will also house offices for NMS in Kajjansi,” said Dr Atwine during a tour of the facility.
The NMS pharmaceuticals warehouse is expected to increase bulk store capacity area from the current 8,000 pallet locations in the existing premises to a minimum of 30,000 pallet locations. It will also increase cold chain capacity to a maximum net storage volume of 2,500m3 purpose-built as a drive-in cold room (DICR).
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Mordenising NMS services
National Medical Stores (NMS) General Manager Moses Kamabare said that one of their main objectives is to consolidate, centralize and operate NMS services and infrastructure in one modern, purpose-built and efficient building, with a minimum sixty-year lifespan, on the specified site. “We now want to secure the future of oxygen in Uganda with a new plant capable of producing 100 cylinders per day,” he added. Mr Kamabare further added that the gas will be supplied mainly to public hospitals across Uganda but private facilities will be considered too.
NMS’ mandate is to procure, warehouse, and distribute essential medicines and medical supplies, primarily to government health facilities. Medicine availability across the country currently stands at 85% with a target of reaching 90% within the next 1-2 years. NMS recently hired clerks to follow up on drugs from the districts up to the rural health facilities under what is known as the last-mile delivery model.
