By Our Reporters
Friday evening saw hundreds of stakeholders converge at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala to participate in celebrations to mark 25 years of productive existence for National Medical Stores (NMS). It was a well-organized event at which UBC Deputy MD Maurice Mugisha excelled emceeing occasionally aided by NMS PR guru Dan Kimosho. For General Manager (GM) Moses Kamabare (who speakers unanimously praised for turning round NMS), the evening was an opportunity to publicize some of the milestone achievements and transformations that have been registered over the years. These include achieving ISO certification, remaining Africa’s best entity in effective vaccines delivery & management consecutively for 3 years now, partnering with Hospice Africa to offer free palliation (Oral Morphine) to the terminally ill patients and ascending corporate membership charter for the Chartered Institute of Transport & Logistics. This certification recognizes warehouses and entities that excel in transportation and logistics management. NMS is one of the very few entities in Africa to acquire that certification thus far. Kamabare also said returning Auditor General’s unqualified audit opinions year in year out is further testimony to NMS’ high accountability and transparency standards. This is remarkable given that over 92% of the cash Parliament allocates to NMS goes into procurement transactions which in Uganda are characterized by highest levels of corruption. “PPDA reports too have been rating us very satisfactory and for the last two years, PPDA has rated us the best procurement entity,” Kamabare told an attentive audience comprising of MPs, Ministers, service providers/suppliers and former NMS CEOs and Board members. He was also enthused by the fact that sister GoU agencies like local governments, finance ministry and development partners were adequately represented at the ceremony that was also aired live on UBC TV. Kamabare also referred to close partnerships and cooperation NMS continues having with USAID, Global Fund, UNICEF, DANIDA, World Bank, JMS, JICA, Hospice Africa and TASO which donated/handed over 4 Renault refrigerated Trucks (worth over $800,000) to boost the delivery of medicines and vaccines to health facilities across the country. In their speeches, Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine Kanzira and her boss Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng (the Minister) commended Kamabare for the high performance that has continued putting skeptics to shame. The duo were unanimous in saying if all agencies exhibited similar efficiency, corporate governance and team work, the overall health sector performance and output levels would simply be way above where it currently is. The two MoH top bosses commended Kamabare for the team work at NMS and for harmoniously working with his board and superiors at the Wandegeya-based Health Ministry. Aceng said that continued donor readiness to work with NMS was proof they are satisfied with accountability systems at the Entebbe-based entity. She added that being able to procure, store and deliver medicines and vaccines with a budget allocation of Shs200bn against a well-established annual demand of Shs1.3trn is further testimony of the high patriotism levels among NMS management and staff. See more in pictures taken at the event.
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