Nana Ofori Owusu has lambasted the Ministry of Health (MoH) and government for failing to clear some medicines supplied by Global Fund to treat diseases in Ghana.
The medicines which were freely given to Ghana remained at the port for months without any action to clear and distribute them to the health facilities to cure patients.
The Ministry, last Friday, April 12, 2024, made attempts to clear the medical supplies which came in 182 containers.
14 containers containing malaria and tuberculosis drugs have successfully been taken from the port remaining 162 containing mosquito-treated nets.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Isaac Offei Baah, in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, told host Kwami Sefa Kayi the delay was due to some technical challenges.
But his explanation doesn't sink well with Nana Ofori Owusu, PPP National Chairman, as he wonders how medicines needed to cure crucial diseases would be left at the port without concern.
"We have to solve our problems in a timely manner. Solving problem is about time. You can't solve a problem two years after the thing has occured. People want real-time solutions to real problems. This is what we expect from leadership, not to tell us that there were some 10 meetings that went on. Who cares about that? We are looking for aggressive solutions.
"The people (Global Fund) threaten us that they won't bring us any more medicines and all of a sudden we get action on things that will protect and save our own lives. It's beyond reproach that you cannot even understand it and then it makes you so sick to the stomach that we don't take matters that affect us a people seriously", he blasted the government and MoH during Kokrokoo after the PRO spoke.
Following a disclosure by the MoH PRO that the cleared medicines have been kept at a warehouse for later distribution, Nana Ofori fumed saying instead of the authorities being concerned with "when actual distribution will take place where the citizens will hold it and use it to their benefit", "that doesn't concern nobody but rather warehouse distribution without the human beings, that one they are talking about it".
"Have you seen we are not correct?", he exclaimed and called for a swift response from the authorities to ensure the drugs get to the patients on time, emphasizing "that is what they should be held accountable for; so when will this thing get into the hand of the Ghanaian. That's the timelines, the dates they should be telling us, not when it is going to go into a warehouse. You have lost sight of why you are there to serve the people".
