Medical panel on Pioneer Food Cannery presents report

Accra, April 7, GNA - A medical panel set up by the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment to investigate complaints of workers of the Tema-based Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) on Thursday presented four copies of the final report to the Ministry.

The panel, which was engaged in October 2003 under the chairmanship of Dr Kofi O. Adadey, Chief Executive of the Airport Clinic, issued an interim report in January 2004, while awaiting the completion of a clinical assessment on some of the workers to be put into the final report.

The complaints generally centred on diseases suffered by the workers due to prevailing working conditions.

Other members of the panel are Dr H.F. Schandorf, Occupational Health Physician, Mr T.F. Bruce, Chief Executive of BruConsult and Mr Samuel Nii Tettey, Metropolitan Inspector of Factories. Dr Adadey said the clinical assessment, which was done on individual basis, including X-rays and laboratory tests, delayed the final report, which was made available by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

He expressed the hope that government would study the report and come up with the appropriate decisions.

Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, said government needed to do a thorough investigation to get the facts, which resulted in the seeming inaction on its part to address the issues.

He said an in-house committee would be set up to review the report and come out with its findings within 10 days adding that this would help government to decide the best way to deal with the matter. Mr Addah, accompanied by his two deputies, noted that government would study the report dispassionately and seek expert advise from the Ghana Labour Commission to deal with the issue.

He said government was concerned with the human resource development and health of workers and was collaborating with other agencies to get the necessary support to improve on their well-being. Mr Kwame Ofori Gyewu, Human Resource Manager of the PFC, thanked the panel for the report and urged government to study the report and come up with its recommendations.