body-container-line-1

Civil Society Organisations doubt govt’s pledge to clear locked-up medical supplies

Social News Civil Society Organisations doubt govts pledge to clear locked-up medical supplies
APR 11, 2024 LISTEN

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Health has expressed scepticism regarding government’s assurance of resolving the issue of delayed lifesaving drugs stuck at the port due to unpaid import duties by Friday.

The Ministry of Health has said significant progress has been made to clear the remaining 182 out of 435 containers of antiretrovirals, TB, and malaria medicines at the Tema Port by April 12.

This comes after the Global Fund threatened to halt deliveries to Ghana if the bottlenecks at the ports are not handled.

Ernest Ortsin, president of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network, shared his perspective with Citi News, casting doubt on clearing the goods by the stipulated time.

“We welcome the intervention from the Ministry of Health, except that this is not the first time they are making such a promise to us. The difference this time is that the new acting Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority has also stepped into the matter, and she has indicated that she is going to collaborate with the ministry to ensure that they claim the commodities.

“That is what is new about this new statement from the ministry. So we are giving them the benefit of the doubt, hoping that by Friday, they will be able to claim all the commodities.”

-citinewsroom

body-container-line