The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has finally handed over 14 out of the 182 containers of pharmaceutical products to the Ministry of Health (MoH) after nearly eight months of being locked up at the Tema Port. These life-saving medications, including antimalarial and tuberculosis (TB) drugs, were crucial for addressing pressing health challenges in the country.
Following the resolution of challenges among the Ministries of Health and Finance, the GRA, and other stakeholders, the containers containing essential malaria and TB medications were transported from the port last Friday. This follows the clearance of all 182 containers to leave the port, with the remaining 168 containers holding only insecticide-treated mosquito nets set to be lifted this week.
The cleared medical supplies are scheduled for transportation to Ghana Health Service (GHS) warehouses by April 19 this year. The resolution of this issue was accompanied by the development of a collaborative roadmap to prevent such delays in the future.
During a ceremony at the Tema Port Reefer Terminal to hand over the containers, the Deputy Commissioner of the Customs Division of GRA, Emmanuel Ohene, highlighted the critical importance of the released drugs in healthcare and emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to expedite the clearance process for essential goods.
“These drugs are vital for the survival of our fellow citizens, and I am glad that they are now in the hands of those who will put them to very good use,” he said.
The Director of the Revenue Policy Division of the Ministry of Finance, George Winful, acknowledged challenges in understanding exemption arrangements that led to delays and announced the formation of a committee to address future delays.
The Chief Director of MoH, Alhaji Hafis Adam, expressed gratitude to all officials who contributed to resolving the national problem and clarified that the Global Fund had not suspended further shipments of health commodities to the country.
“We want to state emphatically that the Global Fund has neither suspended nor intends to suspend any shipments of medicines and other commodities to the country. On the contrary, the ministry has received from the Global Fund an itinerary for the delivery of medicines and other health commodities expected for the year 2024,” Alhaji Adams said.
He urged media stakeholders and the general public to verify all health-related information with the ministry to ensure accuracy and credibility.
“Health is a very critical and sensitive issue that should not be toyed with,” Alhaji Adams stressed.
The Chief Director later revealed that such collaboration had previously facilitated the clearance of 253 containers from the port out of the 435 containers containing Global Fund health commodities allocated to the country in 2023, leaving 182 containers pending clearance.
He clarified that the total worth of the 435 containers of health commodities, which arrived in the country in August last year, amounted to $45 million, not just the 182 containers. Alhaji Adam mentioned that the Ministry of Health efficiently cleared 253 containers from the port with the government’s support, while the clearance of the remaining 182 containers was delayed due to third-party levies.
He further explained that the supplies included malaria rapid diagnostic test kits (RDTs) and insecticide-treated bed nets, refuting claims by some stakeholders that there were anti-retrovirals (ARTs) among the held-up shipments at the port.
“The MoH initiated a collaboration of extensive engagement with the management of GRA and its Customs Division, led by the Commissioner-General, Julie Essiam, and officials of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria (CCM-Ghana), and the COVID-19 Response Mechanism to expedite clearing of the remaining 182 containers and forestalling future delays in the clearing of MoH medicines and other commodities,” Alhaji Adam said.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Health (MoH) elaborated that, following recent engagements, a comprehensive roadmap had been formulated. This roadmap outlines the immediate next steps and delineates the path forward for collaboration and cooperation among the ministries, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and other stakeholders.
“Furthermore, we wish to re-assure our stakeholders and the general public that the challenges associated with the clearing of MoH medicines and other commodities from the Tema Port and other points of entry have been conclusively and completely resolved by the government,” the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health stated.
