In order to monitor the movement of drugs in the country, Government, through the Ministry of Health, has made arrangement for the construction of an ultra-modern Pharma-grade warehouse to replace the burnt medical store in Accra.
The warehouse, when completed, will help improve data visibility at all levels of the supply chain and curtail diversion of medicine and equipment.
Taking his turn at the Meet-The-Press series in Accra to highlight the ministry�s challenges, achievements, and the way forward, the Minister for Health, Alex Segbefia revealed that the construction of the warehouse is a short term plan, and is expected to be completed by early next year.
�The essence of this is to see, at the click of a button, the stock situation everywhere, whether in a hospital, a region or the national warehouse itself.
�Again, it would help prevent or minimize the incidence of drugs expiring and resulting in large losses to the country and the taxpayer,� he explained.
He, however, stated that, the new storage facility will have a state of the art fire-fighting capability, which according to him, will improve security and warning system at the location.
He was of the view that medical logistics management in the country will improve with the introduction of the new supply chain management system.
�The importance of streamlining the medical logistics planning, management and distribution system is key to ensuring that affordable medication is always available at the basic level, that is the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) level, whether it is for malaria, snake bite, rabies or meningitis,� he said.
Moving forward, the minister indicated that, government recognizes the importance of the CHPS concept in the development of health service in the country, adding that, the concept provides healthcare to the doorstep of the average Ghanaian.
�Government is convinced that implementation of the concept is the surest way of bringing medical care to the doorsteps of the average Ghanaian, especially, the rural majority and the vulnerable, who include women, children and the disabled,� the minister stated.
He mentioned that government has embarked on the construction of 1,600 additional CHPS compounds estimated at Gh?960million to be located in all 10 regions of Ghana.
�Most of the CHPS compounds will be primed to deliver maternal and neo-natal services to accelerate the attainment of the millennium development goals on the reduction of maternal and neo-natal deaths in Ghana,� he noted.
Touching on the upgrading of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, the Minister mentioned that the project is currently at the second phase and is expected to raise the bed state of the hospital to 800 beds.
Citing economic difficulties as the main challenge facing the ministry, Mr Segbefia stated that government was doing everything within its power to ensure that they improve the health sector.
�Government is determined to ensure that funds are more readily made available so that refunds to service providers can be made on time,� he assured.
<<Print>>