Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi has acknowledged Ghana’s shortcomings in managing detained medical supplies at the Tema port. These supplies, originating from the Global Fund, have been held up for over a year, posing significant challenges to the country’s healthcare system.
In a recent interview with Channel One, Dr. Adomako Kissi discussed the critical issue of these delayed medical supplies, which were provided at no cost by international organizations such as the Global Fund and GAVI.
He expressed regret over the mismanagement of these essential resources and stressed the need for a more efficient and proactive approach in handling health-related imports.
Dr. Adomako Kissi emphasized that with better coordination and oversight, Ghana could have mitigated these challenges to benefit the nation’s healthcare system. He called for heightened accountability and transparency in managing health resources, urging the government to learn from these lapses to prevent future issues.
He highlighted the importance of prioritizing the efficient distribution of medical supplies to enhance healthcare delivery across the country.
He further noted that earlier vaccine shortages were partly due to the expectation that Ghana should independently manage resources previously provided at no cost.
Dr. Adomako Kissi admitted that financial constraints have led to shifting priorities and availability problems, acknowledging that the nation has made missteps in managing these vital health prevention items.
“…I think that we’ve goofed a little in all honesty…let me admit that our finances in the country are quite challenging…So our priorities will shift and the availability will also be a problem.”
“So I wouldn’t say that we haven’t had a misstep. We’ve had a misstep and it is unfortunate that items that are very useful in terms of our health prevention activities have suffered.”