The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has sought to calm nerves over reports of a nationwide shortage of some vaccines for the immunization of infants.
The Director General of the GHS, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira confirmed the shortage to citifmonline.com but clarified that the situation is not being experienced nationwide.
[contextly_sidebar id=”yxunEjiUyIFViRCiWQ4uzFdgUvpVEnru”]He said it is only the Ashanti Region and some parts of the Greater Accra Region which have been affected.
Dr. Appiah-Denkyira however allayed the fears of parents saying, “if one hospital is in short supply of the vaccines, they will contact other health facilities to supply them so there is no cause for alarm.”
Parents of newborn babies have expressed worry following the shortage of vaccines administered to newborn babies to help them fight deadly childhood diseases.
There were reports that vaccines in short supply are for measles, tuberculosis, yellow fever and hepatitis but Dr. Appiah-Denkyira denied these reports.
He explained that only vaccines for measles and hepatitis are the ones in short supply.
Dr. Appaih-Denkyira also dismissed claims that the shortage is as a result of the Tema Central Medical Stores fire which destroyed thousands of medical supplies
worth millions of Ghana cedis.
He stated that the Ghana Health Service does not keep its vaccines at the central medical stores but rather, they are stored in specialized refrigerators at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
He nonetheless attributed the shortage to the lack of support from international donors.
According to him, since Ghana’s attainment of a middle income status, the inflow of funds from international partners have significantly reduced.
This, he said puts pressure on the government to find resources to purchase medical supplies which hitherto were being provided by international donors.
The GHS Director General however indicated that the Finance Ministry has given the assurance it will soon release funds for the purchase of the vaccines.
He was was unable to indicate when the monies will be made available to them from the Finance Ministry.
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana