Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has alleged that the vaccines for childhood killer diseases procured by the government were borrowed from Nigeria.
In a Facebook post on Monday, he noted that the consignment came as “a benevolent gesture which the Ghanaian government has promised to replace when it finally puts its house in order.”
The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service on March 11, 2023, received the first consignment of Measles vaccines, BCG vaccines and Oral Polio Vaccines.
The source of the vaccines was not disclosed by the Ghana Health Service when it made the announcement over the weekend.
According to Mr Ablakwa, who believes the government is being secretive, the Akufo-Addo-led government “should not be embarrassed to admit that it reached out to Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire for urgent bailout on Ghana’s avoidable and indefensible shortage of childhood vaccines.”
“There is absolutely nothing wrong saying thank you to a neighbour who exhibits superior public health policies, better prioritization, and who responds positively and swiftly when you come begging.”
“Ghanaian officials should not be concealing this fact and therefore appearing ungrateful within the comity of nations even though I acknowledge that an honest and transparent narrative from government will further expose false claims by President Akufo-Addo during his Message on the State of the Nation last week that childhood vaccine shortage was a global phenomenon,” he added.
The North Tongu legislator insists that Ghana’s childhood vaccine crisis could have been prevented if the government had not ignored the World Health Organisation (WHO) stock-out warnings since July last year.
Since Nigeria was allegedly able to supply Ghana with vaccines, he believes the “global phenomenon” claim by the president is a fabrication.
“Ghanaians shall not accept fabrications, ineptitude, mediocrity & leadership failure.
If there was truly a global shortage of childhood vaccines, how did Nigeria (despite their population) have excess supply to bail out Ghana? Why are others not in the same predicament as Ghana?” he quizzed.
Mr Ablakwa further revealed that the Nigerian vaccines can only last for 6 weeks, hence the need for the government to find a permanent solution.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service has noted that more vaccines are expected in Ghana in the coming weeks from multiple sources.
On the other hand, the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region has recorded 10 cases of measles.
Acting Volta Regional Director of Health, Dr Kwasi Senanu Djokoto, made the revelation at a time when the government is working to address the shortage of vaccines.
Source: The Independent Ghana