GMA Urges Government To Clear Global Fund Medicines To Avoid Imminent Shortage By End Of June
- The Ghana Medical Association says Ghana is at risk of a nationwide medicine shortage if the government doesn't clear the Global Fund shipment
- The Global Fund shipment arrived in Ghana in October last year, but the government has failed to clear the majority of medicines brought into the country for free
- The situation has strained the relationship between Ghana and the Global Fund, leading to a suspension of the country
The Ghana Medical Association has warned that Ghana could face significant shortages of essential medicines by the end of June 2024.
The shortage is a result of the government’s refusal to clear tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria medicines that were shipped into the country by the Global Fund in October last year.
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The Fund stated that despite the government’s assurances that it would clear the medicines immediately, many remain at the port and are at risk of expiring.
Despite the Ghana Revenue Authority announcing in April that it had secured the tax waivers necessary for the clearance, third-party charges and demurrages have ballooned to GH¢ 7 million. Due to this debt, over 118 containers are still stuck at the port.
According to the Global Fund, if these medicines are not cleared before they expire, the relationship between the Fund and Ghana will be strained, affecting future shipment of medicines to the country.
Hospitals running out of essential medicines
Meanwhile, hospitals in Ghana have already started experiencing major significant shortages of essential medicines.
The GMA General Secretary, Dr Richard Selormey, said some hospitals have relied on other centres to supply these essential medicines.
He noted that by the end of the month, most hospitals nationwide would have run out of the medicines, ushering in a new crisis if the government did not deliver the shipment in time.
Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, the Ghana HIV and AIDS Network president, says the shipment has to be cleared immediately to save Ghanaian lives.
He explained that if the government fails to get the medicines out in time and they run out, patients could end up developing an immunity to them, rendering them useless when they finally get back in supply.
He explained that this would take the country many steps back in its fight against tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. He further called on the government to act quickly to prevent a calamity.
Global Fund suspends shipment to Ghana
YEN.com.gh reported that a coalition of civil societies warned of a potential health crisis following the Global Fund's decision to suspend shipments to Ghana.
This follows the government's failure to clear a shipment of medicines delivered to the country.
According to the CSOs, the government has been lackadaisical about clearing the shipment, and as such, they intend to demonstrate on April 17.
Proofread by Edwina N.K Quarcoo, journalist and copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
