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Mahama Jabs Gov't Over Medical Drone Deal

Politics Mahama Jabs Gov't Over Medical Drone Deal
DEC 17, 2018 LISTEN

Former president John Dramani Mahama has questioned Akufo-Addo government’s purchase of drones for the health sector.

He said the sector needs more urgent interventions than the Drone Delivery Service that the current administration is busying itself with introducing.

Addressing his supporters and other National Democratic Congress (NDC) faithfuls at the International Trade Fair Center in Accra after filing his nomination Monday, he said, “…instead of prioritizing the needs of the health sector, the NPP government chose to acquire drones to fly blood.”

“This has been roundly condemned by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists.”

“Government should get its priorities right by spending the limited resources on more essential interventions other than copying innovations blindly without relevance to the realities of Ghana’s current needs.”

At the 2018 Annual Health Summit in Accra, Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia announced to the GMA government’s intention to roll out the project as part of efforts to ensure effective healthcare delivery.

The Drone Health Delivery System is expected to cater for the distribution of essential medical drugs to rural communities.

The system will also be employed to deliver other items such as urgent letters, examination papers and election materials such as ballot papers, according to government communication on the deal .

GMA has called for the system’s suspension saying it is at variance with the country’s primary health care delivery systems, adding for some of the clinics and CHPS compounds where the drones are expected to deliver blood and medicines, there are no qualified health personnel there to administer same.

Also raising concerns about the Drone Delivery Service, the former president Mahama said his government saw to the construction and commissioning of several top-tier health facilities across the country which have been left unused.

“ Unfornately , many of these now stand unattended to, monument to the petty partisanship of the day while our people persist in their despair. It is beneath our dignity to allow this to continue.

Mr Mahama also jabbed government’s accountability saying the load shedding which his administration was criticised for by then-candidate Akufo-Addo is back.

Source: Ghana| Myjoyonline.com

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