The Anambra State Government has commenced the procurement and distribution of essential medicines, surgical materials, consumables and medical equipment to strengthen its Free Antenatal Care (ANC) and Delivery Services Programme, in a move aimed at improving maternal and child health outcomes across public health facilities in the state.
The latest intervention is to enhance the capacity of government-owned hospitals to provide safe pregnancies, quality deliveries, emergency obstetric care and newborn services and to ensure that healthcare workers have the necessary supplies to deliver uninterrupted and effective care.
The procurement covers a comprehensive range of medical items required for routine antenatal care, normal deliveries, caesarean sections and emergency obstetric services.
These include intravenous fluids, antibiotics, anaesthetic drugs, sutures, syringes, cannulas, surgical consumables, laboratory reagents, disinfectants, diagnostic materials and other essential medicines critical to maternal healthcare.
As part of efforts to improve the health of expectant mothers throughout pregnancy, the government is also procuring antenatal medications, including iron and folic acid supplements, calcium tablets, vitamin C, multivitamins and other routine medications prescribed during pregnancy.
To further strengthen diagnostic services and infection prevention, health facilities will receive laboratory test kits, glucose preparations, detergents, methylated spirit, partographs, spinal needles and other consumables required for quality maternal and newborn care.
The initiative aligns with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s commitment to eliminating financial barriers to maternal healthcare and ensuring that no woman dies while giving birth because she cannot afford essential medical services.
Since the introduction of the Free Antenatal Care and Delivery Services Programme, thousands of pregnant women across Anambra State have accessed free maternal healthcare in government health facilities, significantly expanding access to skilled birth attendance and essential obstetric services.
The fresh procurement of medicines and medical equipment underscores the Soludo administration’s determination to sustain the programme, improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes, and consolidate ongoing reforms in the state’s healthcare sector.
The Anambra State Ministry of Health assured residents that all medicines, equipment and consumables being procured will comply with approved manufacturers’ specifications and quality standards before distribution to designated health facilities, ensuring that beneficiaries continue to receive safe, effective and high-quality healthcare services across the state.
