The Minority Caucus in Parliament has issued a threat of staging a demonstration if the government doesn’t promptly clear all essential medical supplies currently stuck at the Tema Port.
This ultimatum comes in response to a directive from the Health Minister, who gave officials two weeks to release a shipment donated by the Global Fund to Ghana.
Health Minister Bernard, Okoe Boye, vowed to personally oversee operations at the port if the deadline passes without action.
Speaking to reporters, Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, emphasized the Minority’s determination to pressurize the government into clearing the stalled medical supplies.
He criticized the government for pleading for an additional two weeks to resolve an issue that has persisted for over a year.
Additionally, Mr Akandoh urged the government to urgently address grievances raised by the Medical Laboratory Professional Workers’ Union to prevent health workers from seeking employment abroad.
“Remember, we addressed you on the locked-up commodities and medications at the port. And as you know, we the members of parliament from the Minority side will not relent in our effort to push the government to clear these locked-up commodities and drugs until they are cleared from the port. That must be put on record and as we speak, not all the containers containing drugs and commodities at the port have been cleared.
“We are a group of reasonable people and so we have heard the plea by the minister responsible for help that we should give him two weeks.
“Although it doesn’t make any sense to plead for two weeks to clear commodities that have been at the port for one good year, we have heard him but we are sending a clear signal and warning that within his own two weeks, all, and the emphasis is all, all the containers, containing these drugs should be cleared from the port.
Not some, as they have been doing.”