The Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Ministry of Health, Isaac Offei Baah, has clarified that the medical supplies locked up at the Tema Port do not contain HIV or Tuberculosis drugs but mosquito nets.
Talking to the media, Baah said that HIV medications were cleared in April and assured the public that the Ministry is working to clear the remaining supplies to ensure their proper use.
This clarification follows concerns from health-focused civil society organizations and the public about potential funding and donation suspensions by international organizations if the supplies remain locked up at the port.
“So for clarity sake, we don’t have any HIV drugs locked up at the port that we have not cleared. All those ones were cleared somewhere last April,” he said.
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The PRO mentioned that once the supplies are received by Ghana, the government will ensure they are utilized effectively.
“Once it is something that has been given to the people of Ghana, we are working towards making it out and putting it to good use,” he added.
The Ghana AIDS Commission has raised serious concerns over delays in clearing essential medical supplies, particularly antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, at the Tema Port.
The commission said these delays have posed significant risks to patients relying on the medications. Since June 2023, three containers with ARVs have been stranded at the port, exacerbating the train on the healthcare system and potentially increasing the spread of HIV due to the unavailability of these vital drugs.
The Director-General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, Dr. Kyeremeh Atuahene, stating the urgency of clearing these supplies said approximately 236 million containers of critical medicines, including malaria test kits and bed nets, are also stuck at the port.
