KRG ensures two-year supply of 156 essential medicines

ERBIL, August 8 — The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced on Tuesday its provision of 156 essential medicines to meet the healthcare sector’s needs for two years, with nearly half of the supply domestically produced and the government  pledging to pay $7.4 million to the state treasury.

A statement from the media department of the regional government, translated by 964, stated:

In order to facilitate citizens’ access to the best healthcare services, the Primary Contracts Unit within the Office of the Prime Minister supported the Ministry of Health in signing contracts with pharmaceutical companies to provide 156 types of essential medicines to the healthcare sector at an excellent and competitive price.

Quality, Quantity, and Price:
In recent years, the public healthcare sector in the Kurdistan Region has faced several obstacles related to medicines, with scarcity being a prominent issue. Public hospitals have encountered difficulties in procuring high-quality medicines at reasonable prices and faced challenges in the scientific monitoring of medicine transport and storage.

One advantage of this contract is the consistent supply of 156 essential medicines to the public healthcare sector for two years, following international procedures to ensure the highest quality. Forty-eight percent of these medicines are locally produced in Kurdistan, and emphasis is placed on local companies that have gained international recognition. Nonetheless, the main benefit is cost reduction.

The Kurdistan Regional Government, through the Central Contracts Office, managed to enhance its capacity to deal with companies, potentially reducing costs by 35%, which amounts to $7.4 million annually.

In addition to the benefits for medication stability, quality, and price, the procurement of medicines is now done independently by institutions. This process will be repeated, making purchases centralized and more effectively managed by government employees.