The Bayelsa government has signed an agreement with Zipline, Sterling bank and DrugStoc to deliver emergency and routine medicine to health facilities within the state with drone delivery service.
Mr Daniel Marfo, Senior Vice President for Zipline Africa, a global logistics company, disclosed on Monday in Bayelsa State.
According to him, by the agreement, Zipline will establish a distribution hub in Bayelsa for the introduction, operation, and maintenance of a just-in-time instant logistics solutions.
Marfo said the partnership would ensure that essential drugs, blood and a selection of other life-saving medical supplies were available to the state’s health facilities.
He said, “DrugStoc, a cloud-based pharmatech company, which partners with over 400 manufacturers plugged into her ecosystem, will ensure that essential pharmaceuticals are available within the supply chain at the right time, right place with quality and cost effective to the people of Bayelsa.
“Drugstoc will establish and operate a number of fulfillment and experience centres that will enable a more adaptive and responsive supply chain delivering essential medicines, and life-saving healthcare supplies for the state.”
He said that upon the completion of the partnership, the service would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, day or night, from the distribution centre to be equipped with Zipline’s proprietary fleet of drones.
Marfo assured that Zipline will begin the construction process immediately so as to stay within the agreed timelines.
“We are committed to rapidly meeting our side of this agreement, part of which entails building of a distribution hub from where we will store and deliver the medical commodities and employ hundreds local team members from Bayelsa.
“Our system is well tested across Africa and the United States, and there is no doubt that it is a giant step in expanding universal healthcare access in Nigeria,” he said.
Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa said the state remained committed to delivering an aggressive agenda of building a dependable healthcare delivery system in the state.
According to him, it is part of which has given birth to the partnership.
“We envisage that this partnership will remain one of the most significant ways of removing the access barriers that mitigate easy delivery of medical commodities to our health facilities.
“Even distribution of on-demand medical commodities to remote and hard-to-reach areas do not only save lives, but also become a significant way of managing waste that happens as a result of expiry of medicines,” said Diri.
Also, Mr Keller Rinaudo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Zipline, said that the management was pleased to partner with the state government to advance instant, autonomous healthcare delivery across the state.
“This partnership is an important milestone for Zipline as we scale smart, safe and just-in-time delivery technology and transform how goods move around the globe,” Rinaudo said.
Mr Obinna Ukachukwu, Divisional Head, Health and Education Finance, Sterling Bank, said that bank’s system was well tested across Africa and the U.S., noting that it was a giant step in expanding universal healthcare access in Nigeria.
“Our membership and role in this consortium resounds our commitment to transforming the healthcare sector in Nigeria; one partnership and project at a time.
“With each transformative collaboration, we seek to take the Nigerian population one step closer to a healthcare system that meets their needs at every turn.
“Each member of this consortium is working towards one crucial goal for the Bayelsa state government and her people to make healthcare better.
“This vision drives the H in our HEART strategy and is the sole reason we are in this business,” Ukachukwu said.
Mr Adham Yehia, the President of DrugStoc, said the company was excited to work with the Bayelsa government to transform the healthcare system.
Yehia said Drugstoc joined hands with other partners to provide an end-to-end solution that would impact the availability of life saving medicines and healthcare commodities across the state.
Dr Chibuzo Opara, Chief Executive Officer, DrugStoc, said the company would bring to bear the strength of its relationships, experience and resources garnered while working with over 3000 healthcare providers on its platform.
On her part, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Igwele, said the partnership was significant to the state, as it would complement government efforts in hitching up primary healthcare delivery service in the state.
“There is no doubt that leveraging technology for medical delivery should be a game changer for even distribution of medical commodities.
“To ensure sustainability and continuous availability of medical products within the value chain for distribution, the Bayelsa State government, represented by the Ministry of Health, has separately entered an agreement with DrugStoc, Health Spaces, Sterling Bank and Zipline forming a consortium.
“This consortium, being led by Zipline, will ensure the availability of safe, quality and affordable drugs and medicines to all residents of the state in all its health facilities.
“The Bayelsa signing follows Kaduna and Cross River states that have already signed onto the Zipline technology in Nigeria,” Igwele said.
