The Ministry of Health has announced that delays in clearing life-saving medicines at Tema port will soon be a thing of the past.
The Public Relations Officer, Isaac Offei Baah, made this known in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Wednesday.
He stated that, the Ministry is prepared to clear 182 containers at the port containing anti-HIV, TB, and malaria medicines, as well as mosquito nets, by Friday, April 12, 2024.
“These are necessities that as a country we cannot afford to neglect. Since August last year until now, the Ministries of Health and Finance have been working together to ensure that once this clearance is completed, we won’t encounter this issue again. By Friday, everything will be cleared,” he said.
This comes in response to a notice issued by the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in HIV, AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, threatening to take action if the government fails to clear the medications languishing at the port within ten days.
Just 24 hours after receiving the notice from the CSOs, the Ministry of Health released a press statement explaining its efforts to clear the 182 containers of medical goods stranded at the Tema Ports.
Mr. Baah mentioned that, the Global Fund support to the government involved 453 containers, of which 253 have been cleared from the port between August 2023 and February 2024 with the assistance of the government.
He also outlined the immediate next steps and plans for collaboration between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, Ghana Revenue Authority, and other stakeholders.
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