- Govt clears medical supplies stuck at Tema Port for over a year.
- Release follows pressure from stakeholders and minority caucus.
- Distribution to regions has begun.
- Global Fund is satisfied with progress.
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the health sector have confirmed that the long-awaited medical supplies stuck at the Tema Port for over a year have finally been cleared by the government. The development comes after intense pressure from stakeholders and the minority caucus in Parliament, who expressed concern over the prolonged delays in clearing the medical supplies donated by the Global Fund.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, had assured that the supplies would be cleared within two weeks, and it appears that the government has fulfilled this promise. In an interview with Citi News, the acting chairman of the Ghana Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund, Ernest Amoabeng, confirmed that the supplies have been released and distribution to the regions has commenced.
According to Amoabeng, the warehouse is transporting the goods in batches, and the Global Fund is pleased with the progress made so far. He revealed that the clearing of the containers is still ongoing, but all the containers have been released by the port, and the last batch of chits from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been issued.
Amoabeng stated that the CSOs have visited the warehouse and confirmed that the containers are being carted away from the port to the warehouse. He expressed relief that the logjam has finally been cleared, and the much-needed medical supplies will now reach the intended beneficiaries.
The development is a significant milestone in the country’s healthcare delivery, as the supplies will help address some of the critical healthcare needs in the country. The CSOs have commended the government for taking action and urged them to ensure that the supplies are distributed efficiently to the various healthcare facilities across the country.
