Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has voiced criticism against Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, regarding his remarks concerning the withdrawal of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Pratt argued that the health ministry should prioritise transparency with the Ghanaian populace, clarifying that the vaccine’s withdrawal stems from identified side effects rather than commercial motives.
He stressed the importance of Dr. Kuma-Aboagye and his team addressing strategies to alleviate the side effects experienced by vaccinated individuals instead of offering unnecessary justifications.
During an appearance on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show, the veteran journalist openly rebuked the health ministry’s handling of the vaccine withdrawal issue.
“Those of us compelled to get vaccinated now face a medical risk. The ministry should be informing us about countermeasures for the side effects to prevent fatalities.
The claim that the withdrawal is for commercial, not medical, reasons is unacceptable.
“A superior vaccine constitutes a medical rationale. They must provide us with credible information, or we will be justifiably upset. They forced the whole population to take the vaccine; now they’re giving us irrelevant explanations,” he fumed.
These remarks come in response to the Ghana Health Service’s (GHS) explanation for the removal of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, citing commercial rather than medical reasons.
During a press conference held as part of the COVID-19 Vaccination and Child Health Promotion Week/African Vaccination Week Campaign in Accra’s Ga East Municipality, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye clarified that the decision was driven by commercial factors.
He highlighted the presence of superior vaccines on the market, rendering AstraZeneca non-competitive.
“They are withdrawing for commercial reasons in the sense that there are superior vaccines on the market, and so if you are in a market and you will not be able to compete, why produce something when others will go for some other brand?” citinewsroom.com reported him as having said: