Health Ministry Announces It Will Clear Global Fund Containers From Tema Port By June Ending
- The Health Ministry has announced it has finally secured money to clear the Global Fund containers at the port
- There were 64 outstanding containers at the port that could not be cleared because of accumulated demurrages
- After securing the funds, the ministry says the containers will be cleared by the end of June and distributed nationwide
The Ministry of Health has announced that it intends to clear all outstanding Global Fund containers at the Tema Port by the end of June 2024.
According to the Ministry, it had earlier cleared some 219 containers leaving behind 64 containers at the port.
Source: Getty Images
The problem it encountered with the 64 containers was its inability to secure enough funds to pay the third party charges that had accrued on the containers due to the delay.
The charges were GH₵7,429,694.39.
The Ministry in a press release noted that the Finance Ministry has successfully assisted in securing auction chits for the remaining 64 containers which consists of one TB medicines container and the remaining are mosquito nets.
The Finance Ministry also provided the GH₵7,429,694.39 for the payment demurrage to the third party for the clearance of all containers at the Tema Port.
The Ministry noted that with the funds finally secured, all Global Fund containers at the port would be cleared by June 2024.
The Ministry urged Ghanaians and other stakeholders to exercise patience as the ministry works assiduously to clear and distribute the products to health centres across the country.
It assured the public of its unwavering commitment to promoting high-quality services, programmes and policies that would enhance the wellbeing of Ghanaians.
GMA warns of TB medicine shortage
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 failure to clear tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS and malaria medicines that were shipped into the country by the Global Fund in October last year.
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.
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.
PAY ATTENTION: Stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Source: YEN.com.gh
