Six civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ghana are preparing to stage a protest against the government over the prolonged delay in clearing vital health supplies worth $40 million at Tema Port since May last year.
President of the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin announced the forthcoming demonstration during a press conference held on April 8, 2024, at the CCM secretariat.
According to the president, the delayed supplies, which include treatments for HIV, TB, and malaria, are indispensable for the country’s health system. He remarked that the persistent delay has resulted in severe shortages of essential medical supplies across health facilities nationwide, prompting urgent calls for government intervention to avert an impending public health crisis.
“The commodities in reference, valued at more than $40 million, have been wasting away at the port since May 2023. The situation has currently created stock-outs in health facilities across the country leading to needless loss of lives and frustration for health workers….”
President of the Network of Persons Living with HIV; Elsie Ayeh further criticized the government’s apparent lack of concern for HIV patients, citing administrative challenges that have impeded the clearance of donated medicines.
“So I can imagine being given six months, receiving six months medication, then you go for your refill, and you have one month. It tells a lot… It means that there’s shortage. It means for us…that the leadership of our country does not care about us. “
Executive Director of Hope for Future Generations, Cecilia Lodonu-Senoo has urged swift action from the government to prioritize health, warning that failure to do so could lead to unnecessary deaths.
“If the president decides, parliament decides that we are clearing this today, they can clear it. I think that the government is not prioritizing health, that is it. If we have shortages, the problem is that we will have more deaths. “
In response to the challenges, the CSOs have outlined plans for a demonstration, calling on activists and citizens nationwide to join them in their cause.
The delay in the clearance of health supplies at the Tema Port has led to the Global Fund suspending shipments of more essential medical supplies, putting Ghana in a position of health crisis.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Health (MOH) has released a statement assuring the public that efforts are underway to clear the remaining 182 out of 435 containers at the Tema Port, holding the antiretrovirals, Tuberculosis (TB) and malaria medicines by Friday, 12th April 2024, following an earlier successful clearance of 253 containers.
–
Story by: Grace Afetsrom | univers.ug.edu.gh
