Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja 

The federal government has expressed the determination to ensure that no substandard medical equipment, devices and reagents are used in government-owned hospitals and health institutions.

It said that availability of appropriate infrastructure and quality equipment, medical devices and diagnostics are very critical to ensuring quality healthcare services to Nigerians.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako stated this at the commissioning of the national secretariat of the Healthcare Equipment and Allied Products Providers Association of Nigeria (HEPAN) in Abuja on Friday.

“To improve population health outcomes, the right diagnosis is important which is dependent on appropriate technological aids as provided by organizations. 

“I invite HEPAN to rise to the challenge of downtimes in our health facilities through training and partnership with service users. The journey towards achieving zero use of substandard medical equipment, devices, reagents require your full and undiluted commitment,” he said.

He said the event signified the association’s readiness to contribute to achievement of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative which is anchored on better governance, access to effective healthcare services, unlocking healthcare value chain and health security. 

Salako said that unlocking the health value chain through medical industrialization is particularly relevant to organizations like HEPAN, adding that their support would be important in driving the agenda of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. 

According to the minister, the availability of appropriate and quality infrastructure, equipment, medical devices, diagnostics is critical to the attainment of the country’s healthcare agenda.

To this end, Salako said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will like to associate and partner the private sector towards becoming self-reliant as much as possible. 

He said the Presidential Executive Order of June 2024 which eliminated tariffs, import duties, VAT and other taxes on vital raw materials offers a good opportunity for members of HEPAN to promote local production.

“This is why government is urging partners and organizations such as HEPAN to encourage members to venture into production and fabrication of different equipment and devices to enhance our health system capacity to deliver on its mandates,” he said. 

While speaking at the commissioning ceremony, HEPAN President, Dr. Ifeanyichukwu Nwankwo, said the association will ensure that henceforth there will be nothing like the import of fake or substandard medical equipment in the country.

He said that one of the best ways to stop the importation of fake medical equipment is by creating a platform like HEPAN where stakeholders can talk to themselves and agree on best practices.

On what the association is doing to promote local manufacturing of medical equipment, Nwankwo said that the body is encouraging many of its members with the capacity to go into local manufacturing.

“I can give you instances; a big factory will soon be opened in Port Harcourt built by our member and there is another one that is coming up in Agbara Industrial Estate. 

“Our members have realized that the best way to go – is go into local production because it saves foreign exchange and creates jobs for Nigerians,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the FCT Chapter of the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) praised HEPAN for fostering collaboration among stakeholders and ensuring that only certified medical devices are used in Nigeria.

“I believe that HEPAN has the capacity to reduce medical tourism to the nearest minimum by ensuring that equipment imported into the country meet Nigerian standards and manufacturers’ specifications.

“This will also address the trend of patients being referred from one facility to another to repeat tests due to lack of standardisation.”

He further called on regulatory agencies to validate and verify all medical devices, saying it would maintain the integrity of healthcare services and build trust among patients and healthcare providers.

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