KRG announces ‘groundbreaking’ reform in medicine procurement
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Tuesday launched a “groundbreaking” project to reform the procurement of medicine for the public health sector. It is aimed at improving the quality of medicine and reducing its cost.
“The Ministry of Health is launching a ground-breaking project to reform the procurement of essential medicines in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), in order to ensure that citizens have access to high-quality medicines from reputable suppliers,” said the KRG in a tender notice. “In line with international best practice, the aim will be to procure medicines on behalf of the whole of the KRI for the first time, supplying drugs to the public health system at fair and competitive prices.”
It added that the procurement of medicine supplies has been carried out separately by each province’s health department so far.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani celebrated the launch of the reform in a tweet, stating that through signing “transparent” contracts with companies his cabinet wants to provide people with “better quality medicine at a lower cost to the KRG.”
The KRG has often come under fire for medicine shortages, high prices and low quality, especially in Sulaimani province.
Hiwa Hospital, the largest cancer treatment centre in the city of Sulaimani, has been struggling with severe shortages and heavy debt for years.
“The Ministry of Health is launching a ground-breaking project to reform the procurement of essential medicines in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), in order to ensure that citizens have access to high-quality medicines from reputable suppliers,” said the KRG in a tender notice. “In line with international best practice, the aim will be to procure medicines on behalf of the whole of the KRI for the first time, supplying drugs to the public health system at fair and competitive prices.”
It added that the procurement of medicine supplies has been carried out separately by each province’s health department so far.
Prime Minister Masrour Barzani celebrated the launch of the reform in a tweet, stating that through signing “transparent” contracts with companies his cabinet wants to provide people with “better quality medicine at a lower cost to the KRG.”
The KRG has often come under fire for medicine shortages, high prices and low quality, especially in Sulaimani province.
Hiwa Hospital, the largest cancer treatment centre in the city of Sulaimani, has been struggling with severe shortages and heavy debt for years.
KRG for the first time announces tenders to provide medicine, through which the price of 230 different medications will be stabilized.
— Kurdistan Regional Government (@Kurdistan) September 6, 2022
The goal of this approach by the Ninth Cabinet is to provide medicines that are both of better quality and more reasonably priced. pic.twitter.com/HluR7xw6c8