Minority To Protest If Gifted Medical Supplies Not Cleared After 2 Weeks

The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Ghana’s parliament has sent a word of caution to the government that it will hit the streets in demonstration if the medical supplies gifted the country by Global Fund are not cleared within two weeks as promised by the minister responsible for Health.

Almost a year on, containers of medical supplies donated to the country by kind hearted organisations are still locked up at the Tema Port.

Following a series of agitations by stakeholders in the health sector including the minority, the Health Minister, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, gave a two-week ultimatum to officers to clear the consignments from the port.

The minister assured that he will be compelled to visit the port and sit there until the right thing is done after the two-week ultimatum has elapsed.

However, almost two weeks now, not all containers with the drugs are cleared.

According to the minority, although the two weeks ultimatum given by the minister dosn’t make sense since due to the lond delay, they would give the minister the benefit of the doubt.

Addressing journalists in parliament house on Thursday June 20,2024, Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, cautioned the government to do the needful and clear the remaining containers.

He sent clear signals and warining that all containers should be cleared within the two weeks else the minority will hit the streets.

Mr Akandoh also urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, respond to the grievances of the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union to avoid brain drain in the health sector.

“Remember, we addressed you on the locked-up commodities and medications at the port. And as you know, we the members of parliament from the Minority side will not relent in our effort to push the government to clear these locked-up commodities and drugs until they are cleared from the port. That must be put on record and as we speak, not all the containers containing drugs and commodities at the port have been cleared.

“We are a group of reasonable people and so we have heard the plea by the minister responsible for help that we should give him two weeks.

“Although it doesn’t make any sense to plead for two weeks to clear commodities that have been at the port for one good year, we have heard him but we are sending a clear signal and warning that within his own two weeks, all, and the emphasis is all, all the containers, containing these drugs should be cleared from the port.
Not some, as they have been doing.”

By: Christian Kpesese