SCH participates in webinar on “Medical Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic”

Manama, June 12 (BNA): A webinar on “Medical Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic” was held yesterday, with the participation of more than 150 procurement and supply experts from hospitals, clinics, medical facilities and government organisations from all over the Middle East and North Africa. Organised by Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the event was hosted by Procurement Middle East and supported by Bahrain’s Tender Board. Secretary-General of the Bahrain Supreme Council of Health (SCH), Ebrahim Al-Nawakhtha, was the guest speaker of the webinar. Addressing the webinar, Al-Nawakhtha praised His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s constant support, and extended deepest thanks to His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, on their unwavering follow-up on the efforts exerted by the Team Bahrain to protect the health and safety of everyone, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He paid tribute to the National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus, led by the SCH President, Lieutenant-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, for its keenness to ensure the kingdom’s full readiness to deliver advanced services to deal with the virus. He pointed out that since its establishment, the SCH has devised the necessary strategies to develop the health sector and ensure the efficiency of medical services and sustainability of health resources in the kingdom, noting that Bahrain boasts advanced health services, as proved by health indicators. He highlighted his vision on the innovative and strategic methods to strengthen supply chains, improve scarce resources and establish secure supply chains in the health care sector, stressing the importance of improving the procurement process, within the existing regulations, as well as diversifying resources to ensure that the importation operations are not affected. Tackling the kingdom’s experience in this regard, he said that Bahrain has made the procurement process related to health care central, noting that the offered prices are evaluated on the criteria of cost and delivery time, and that the required quantities are distributed to different sellers to avoid any delays resulting from the high demand for medical supplies around the world. Al-Nawakhtha added that Bahrain had set up a National Taskforce for Combating Coronavirus with a mandate to develop policies and implement strategies of testing, quarantine, isolation and treatment, in addition to many precautionary measures, which, he said, has entitled the kingdom to be among countries with the highest testing rates at the international level. He indicated that Bahrain was the first Arab country to join the “Solidarity” initiative launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in order to find an effective treatment for COVID-19.