National Medical Stores, established in 1993, handles the procurement, storage, administration and distribution of medical supplies to 2,840 healthcare facilities throughout Uganda. The organisation operates its own warehouse in Entebbe as well as seven regional customer-service centres and the biggest warehouse in East Africa. “Next on the list is opening two regional hubs for cross-docking and mass storage,” explains General Manager and CEO Moses Kamabare.
In addition to ensuring the logistics of medical-supplies deliveries, National Medical Stores plays a key role in upgrading the Ugandan healthcare sector. Largely thanks to its lobbying efforts, for example, the availability of pharmaceuticals in Uganda has risen from 21% to 80%. National Medical Stores also pioneered embossing pills with a ‘Government of Uganda’ insignia to counteract smuggling and leakage into the private market.
National Medical Stores wants to attract FDI to Uganda’s pharmaceuticals industry so that drugs can be produced locally; currently 90% are imported. The dynamic organisation is also seeking its own investors and partners in order to build a new warehouse near Kampala and complete other projects. Moses Kamabare explains, “We have an excellent track record, and potential pharmaceuticals investors can count on us to distribute their products efficiently and on time. Uganda’s healthcare sector has enormous growth potential.”
National Medical Stores
Plot 4-12 Nsamizi Road, PO Box 16, Entebbe
Tel: +256 414 320507/542
[email protected]
www.nms.go.ug
