- Rwanda Medical Supply Ltd (RMS) has signed a five year deal with USAID to improve the performance of Rwanda’s supply chain of health commodities.
- The partnership is expected to boost operational efficiency, improve scientific decision making, and ensure proper and timely procurement and delivery of health commodities.
Rwanda Medical Supply Ltd (RMS) has signed a five year deal with USAID to improve the performance of Rwanda’s supply chain of health commodities. The RMS was set up by the Government of Rwanda to strengthen the pharmaceutical supply chain system and ensure availability of quality drugs in health facilities for its people.
Speaking about the project, the Minister of Health, Dr Daniel Ngamije said that the goal of the project is to strengthen the planning and management capabilities of RMS. The partnership is expected to boost operational efficiency, improve scientific decision making, and ensure proper and timely procurement and delivery of health commodities.
The first phase of the $75 million project “Transforming Rwanda Medical Supply Chain (TRMS)” will act as the primary job to procure and deliver health commodities to the end-user. It will focus on supplying HIV/AIDS products through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). RMS proposes to buy nearly 350,000 multi-month supply bottles of HIV drugs. The supply is expected to offer a full year of life-saving treatment to 42% of all people living with HIV in Rwanda. Later it will cover Malaria, Family Planning, Maternal and Child Health products and other health commodities.
The USAID Rwanda Mission Director, Jonathan Kamin complimented Rwanda for being a leader in the supply chain performance in the continent. He added that the country’s performance in the pharmaceutical supply chain despite being a complex sector was impressive that made it eligible for the recipient of USAID’s one of the largest direct contracts for commodity procurement with a local supply chain organisation.
RMS CEO, Pie Harerimana revealed that the fund will also be utilised for capacity building. He added that the interventions are expected to rectify operational inefficiencies, lengthy procurement processes, shortfalls in inventory management, and so on.
