Health Ministry receives essential medicines

Five pharmaceutical companies have donated essential medicines, valued at GHC476,160,  to support the Ministry of Health to mitigate the impact of the damage on health care delivery.

The companies were Vicdoris Pharmaceuticals, East Cantonment Pharmacy, Kinapharma, Gokals-Laborex Limited and Tobinco Pharmaceuticals.
The donation is on the back of an appeal launched by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) encouraging its members and companies to donate medicines and cash to procure essential medicines to support the Ministry of Health.
The appeal was launched following the burning down of the Central Medical Stores on Tuesday January 13, during which all the stored drugs, medical and non-medical consumables were lost.
Speaking at a short ceremony to hand over the medicines, President of the PSGH, James Ohemeng Kyei, said the donated medicines meet the set criteria, including being on the essential medicines list and having expiry dates not earlier than August 2015.

He thanked the Management of the companies for the gesture.

Mr Kyei called on the Ministry to ensure that the temporary warehouse is properly insured, and has basic fire-fighting equipment, fire detectors and alarms, as well as functional fire hydrants.

He expressed the hope that individuals and companies, who had made donation pledges, would fulfill them in time, adding that the PSGH was extending its appeal to individuals, churches, mosques and the international community.

The Minister of Health, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, said the donation would help meet the shortfall that must be met, and gave the assurance that the medicines would be put to good use.  
 
GNA