The Minister for Health and Medical Services Hon. Jone Usamate met with medicine supplier and manufacturing agents in India to discuss the possibility of supplying medicines directly to Fiji.
Almost 85 percent of imported medicines are manufactured in India but procured via the government tender system through supplier agents based in Australia and New Zealand. If successful, sourcing medicines directly from India would mean a reduction in the total cost of purchasing by the Fijian Government.
In his meetings, the Minister emphasised that Fiji’s annual medicine quota will be much lesser than its major clients. He stated that in the corporate world, one of the features that stood out well in a successful supply chain management relationship between supplier and the purchaser is their mutual understanding of their business environment that enables them to willingly modify their business processes in order to meet their customers’ needs. This result emanates from a long-term agreement and cordial business relations. He intends to emulate similar processes in the Ministry of Health procurement program that will immensely benefit Fijians in the long term.
The Minister with the Fijian delegates visited two manufacturing plants for medicines and electro-surgical equipment last week in Pune and Mumbai respectively. He also visited Emcure, which is one of the top ten pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in India and has established a high standard of Good Manufacturing Practices resulting from its collaborations with renowned multinational pharmaceutical such as Gilead Sciences, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Teva.
The suppliers were later issued with the pre-qualification documents preparing them to bid for the Government Tender in Supplying of Essential Medicines.
The Minister was impressed with the presentations made by the suppliers and was humbled with the eagerness shown by the suppliers to engage with Fiji.