Responding to the pressing need for improvements in the delivery of healthcare products in East Africa, Imperial Health Sciences announced the development of a new, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical storage and distribution facility in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday.“This custom-built warehouse forms part of our active delivery of healthcare and storage solutions in developing markets, where there is a dire shortage of warehouse facilities that meet the requirements for effective, quality assured pharmaceutical warehousing and distribution,” comments Imperial Health Sciences managing director Dr Iain Barton.
“Healthcare practitioners in underserved areas are faced with a growing burden of complex disease management, aggravated by ageing infrastructures and unreliable supply of essential medicines,” he adds, and stresses that without sustainable warehousing infrastructure and supply chain systems in place, practitioners in the field cannot access a safe, secure, reliable supply of medicines in line with best-practice quality standards.
Located on Mombasa Road in Nairobi, Imperial Health Sciences’ new facility is 9 564m2 in size and will offer 5 361 pharmaceutical pallet locations, as well as 3 978 consumer and 466 cold chain pallet locations. The development also includes a 1 000m2 office area and a conference and training centre.
Job creation and environmental considerations are priorities on the project. Barton elaborates: “The US$20-million construction contract has been awarded to a consortium of Kenyan contractors. At its peak, the contract will create employment for 400 local people. Sustainability initiatives at the new facility will include solar powered external lighting and electric fencing; LED lighting in all offices; energy efficient, sensor operated industrial fittings in the warehouse; energy efficient air conditioning units throughout the facility; and solar heated hot water. Thermo protecting paint and energy reducing insulation is being used to minimise the facility’s heating and cooling requirements. The development will also harvest rainwater, and will have its own water purification plant.”
In terms of job creation once the facility is up and running in 2015, Barton explains that Imperial Health Sciences currently employs 96 people in Nairobi, and the warehouse will take this number up to 180. The ground breaking event for the new facility was attended by South African and Kenyan business leaders and dignitaries, including Machakos County Governor, His Honorable Dr.Alfred Mutua - who was the guest of honour at the event. Imperial Health Sciences is a leading force in healthcare supply chain management in Africa. Part of Imperial Logistics, the company has operations in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi, with downstream distribution partners providing reach into 26 countries.
More than a logistics supplier, Imperial Health Sciences’ focus is on forging partnerships in the healthcare supply chain, to offer flexible solutions and joint value creation in all channels - namely wholesalers, private and public health sectors, doctors, pharmacies, hospitals and FMCG – in order to ensure the secure and sustainable supply of quality medicines to the people of Africa.