The Chamber of Pharmacy and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) have imported Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to supply to 5,000 pharmacies – including community pharmacies and over the counter medicine service to help in the fight against spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) across the country.

The Chamber noted that aside from the PPE, the pharmacies will be stocked with facemasks, sanitisers, tissue and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) – the country’s approved drug for the treatment of COVID-19. According to the Chamber, an over-US$1 million investment has been made and all documentation and payments have been done.

A member of the Chamber’s COVID-19 technical committee, Albert Wiredu Arkoh, told the B&FT: “We are always thinking ahead, that’s why the Chamber has engaged in all these activities. We are very confident about the measures that government, through the Ghana Health Service, has put in place to fight the virus. Every step of the way, there are meetings to brief key stakeholders on what to do to help the plans succeed”.

He added that government has made funds available for pharmaceutical importers and local manufacturers to support it with items and drugs to fight the virus.

Mr. Wiredu Arkoh believes that the PPE will complement government’s enhanced testing protocol.

The Chamber of Pharmacy believes that during this period the nation will need all the PPE available to embark on the exercise, so as to be able to track the virus and apply the needed measures to deal with it.