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The Managing Director of the National Medical Supplies Agency (NMSA), Jatu J. Abdulai, has warned that anyone caught selling Free Health Care drugs will face legal consequences.
Speaking at a media update at the NMSA’s head office in Murray Town, Freetown, Abdulai addressed the importance of the Free Health Care initiative and the agency’s role in it. The program, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UNICEF, the World Bank, and the Global Fund, works in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to provide essential medications to vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities, pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under five, and Ebola and COVID-19 survivors.
“Once the drugs for STIs and reproductive health are delivered to health facilities, they must be given to patients for free,” Abdulai said. “Anyone found selling these drugs will face legal action.”
Abdulai also explained NMSA’s role in procuring, storing, and distributing medical supplies across Sierra Leone. Since starting operations in 2018, the agency has been responsible for ensuring that public health facilities have access to the medications and supplies necessary to care for the population.
In addition to supporting public health institutions, NMSA also facilitates procurement for other institutions that need medical supplies for their staff. Abdulai pointed out that the agency operates central stores in Freetown and regularly distributes supplies to health facilities across the country.
“The Free Health Care distribution stream takes place four times a year,” Abdulai noted. She also spoke about the recent February 2025 integrated distribution, which included drugs for HIV, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, which were sent to 24 government hospitals and 16 district medical stores. These drugs will eventually be repackaged and sent to peripheral health units.
Abdulai also shared that Princess Christian Maternity Hospital and Ola During Children’s Hospital in Freetown received their supplies last Friday. The distribution will continue until May 2025.
This distribution is supported by the Global Fund, working with the Ministry of Health to tackle diseases like AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Abdulai added that this year’s Free Health Care distribution cycle includes drugs and supplies worth 2.5 million US dollars for health facilities across the country.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, Abdulai stressed the importance of monitoring the distribution process and educating health workers on the correct use of the supplies.
