MedVan as Engagement Platform for Healthcare Needs

Beyond offering goods and services, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc is championing the need for manufacturers of consumer health-related products to speed up campaigns that would further enlighten the public on health issues and provide feedback for

Educating consumers on new invention, application and global marketing trends, is fast becoming a tool for public engagement. Because of the sensitivity of the health sector, such a campaign is highly recommended to safeguard human lives. According to BRG Communications, a United States-based public relations firm that engages mostly in consumer education, involving in consumer awareness campaign promotes mutual relationship between brand owners and the target audience.

In Nigeria, many organisations have toed the global path to boost their equities as well as impacting on consumers. The recent being the effort of Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc, through an initiative tagged MedVan, which was initiated to reach healthcare practitioners in the suburban and rural areas across Nigeria and provide them with up-to-date medical education about drugs, illnesses and diseases. The company has since begun with some states that serve as pilot states for the exercise.

Speaking at the inauguration, GSK Medical Director, Omolaja Odunuga, explained that MedVan is the first mobile continuous medical education provider in Nigeria, adding that the initiative was in line with the company’s vision of improving lives by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.

He said: ‘’ At GSK, we remain committed to our vision of improving human lives by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer and this initiative is another way to further demonstrate this belief. MedVan is one great way to connect with Health Care Practitioners, get first-hand information, understand and meet their clinical needs, provide training where necessary and generally impact knowledge that can help improve their practice,’’

On what informed the choice of the selected states, the medical director said the plan was to take the initiative across Nigeria, starting with Kwara, Ekiti and Ebonyi. He further stated that depending on the success of this phase, GSK intend to reach out to other states in Nigeria.

Target of the initiative What does GSK seek to achieve with this initiative? This was the question thrown by one of the journalists, who witnessed the flagging off of the project. To this, Odunuga reacted that as an organisation committed to the improvement of the healthcare system in Nigeria, the initiative was regarded as another way to demonstrate its commitment.

‘’Through MedVan, we will engage and provide healthcare practitioners(HCPs) with adequate information about the best approaches dealing with illnesses and diseases, information about innovations in the medical field, and this will help them to better discharge their duties. With the dynamic nature of the healthcare space, there is need for constant education and training, MedVan will help HCPs to better their practice and keep abreast of innovation especially those in rural areas.

MedVan is a medical-commercial initiative through which GSK seeks to reach health care practitioners in the suburban and rural areas across Nigeria and provide them with up-to-date medical education about drugs, illnesses and diseases,’’ he stated.

The medical director described MedVan as one great way to connect with HCPs, get first-hand information, understand and meet their clinical needs, provide training where necessary and generally impact knowledge that can help improve their practice.

Meanwhile, in earlier press statements that were issued to herald the initiative, GSK had stated that through MedVan, it will engage and provide HCPs with adequate information about the best approaches dealing with illnesses and diseases, information about innovations in the medical field, and this will help them to better discharge their duties.

‘’With the dynamic nature of the healthcare space, there is need for constant education and training, MedVan will help HCPs to better their practice and keep abreast of innovation especially those in rural areas,’’ the company stated.

Pilot launch In Ilorin, Kwara State, where state government GSK pharmaceuticals, jointly inaugurated the MedVan, it was used to provide education on drugs, illnesses and disease to healthcare providers in suburb and rural areas across the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Atolagbe Alege, described the initiative as a good project that was brought to the state in promotion of delivering good healthcare services to the populace.

According to him, the programme consists of educating on new procedures of treatment, interacting with healthcare providers in remote areas, sharing focus and impact of drugs on patients.

Alege noted that Kwara State was the first state the MedVan initiative started in Nigeria.

Speaking at the inauguration, Odunuga, explained that MedVan is the first mobile continuous medical education provider in Nigeria and that GSK facilities would train doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare providers in the state.

“We will keep in touch with them and continuously provide cutting edge technology that will help in area of health, with this initiative, every four out of five Nigerians would be able to access quality health care,” said Odunuga.

He added that there will be virtual learning centres for on-going capacity building to get the best practices available for healthcare providers. In their separate remarks, Kwara State Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Kunle Olawepo, the Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Olusina Olayiwola as well as their counterpart in the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Joseph Adekanye, commended GSK pharmaceutical company for the initiative.

In his goodwill message, Olawepo said the association is in partnership in the initiative of promoting good healthcare in the state. Saying, 20 locations would be visited with the med-van, including; Kiama, Baruten, Shaare, Ifelodun Local government areas, and Jebba in Moro LGA, among others.

Compared to other sectors, manufacturers in the health sector of Nigerian economy, especially Glaxosmithkline Consumer Nigeria Plc, appear to have realised the growing need for in-depth consumer knowledge in the consumer health sector. In the last few years, GSK and other companies like Unilever, and Procter & Gamble, have leveraged on the world health and oral day to engage consumers.

In recent times, management of GSK has deplored, among other means, grassroots and community activation, public service announcement and partnerships and strategic alliances and research to educate consumers on their product, current development in the health sector and what consumers need.

The impact of the campaign has sent strong signal to stakeholders that it has now become necessary for organisations that operate in the sector to, not just focus on the visible and more obvious pieces of information about the consumer, but to understand what lies beneath the surface. And this, according to industry experts, can best be achieved through deep consumer research.