Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health
By Mudasiru Abdul Yakeen
The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has cautioned unapproved wholesale pharmaceutical outlets to desist from supplying drugs to the market.
According to the Minister, there are several pharmaceutical suppliers who do not belong to the framework of contracting supply agreement, but are embarking on such exercises.
The framework contracting supply agreement, he said, was initiated to minimise, and/or eradicate completely the issues of fake and expired medicines that flood the health sector.
The Minister disclosed this during the launch of Ghana Integrated Logistics Management Information System (GILMIS) in Koforidua, in the Eastern regions.
Diseases and fake drugs
Mr Agyeman Manu stated that the Ministry will not hesitate to deal with institutions that fail to comply with the directive.
“By ensuring that various health centres comply with the directives, the Ministry will monitor the various facilities to inquire where they purchase their drugs,” Mr Agyemang-Manu stated.
He opined that to be able to identify the suppliers of fake drugs, the inclusion and availability of modern technology and information management system will be an added advantage to provide visibility and facilitate access to supply chain.
Quality health care
The Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, Samuel Nuertey Ayertey, stressed the need to broaden and improve the quality of health care of Ghanaians.
He asked the public to uphold the vision to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare, reduction of diseases and ensuring provision of effective healthcare services aimed at achieving a healthier country.
Mr Ayertey is hopeful that the reforms, when fully implemented, will ultimately impact on quality healthcare delivery services and supply chain performance improvement, thus reducing expiry products, wastage and lowering inventory operational costs.
About GILMIS
GILMIS is one of the recent key reforms carried out by the Ministry of Health with support from the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, AIDS and Malaria (GFTAM) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The reform will ensure security of commodities, which includes getting the right medicines and supplies in good conditions whenever they are needed, strengthening and improving the health sector and managerial decision making when fully implemented.
GILMIS is also a nationwide outreach aimed to monitor supply chain performance to boost visibility initiative which enables decision makers to make informed and timely decisions at all levels.
