The Member of Parliament for Banda, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, has stated that the review in the Drug Administration Policy of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) would not benefit people in the rural areas.

He said that Policy would render Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds ineffective and cut off most rural communities from accessing healthcare services.

Mr. Ibrahim made the statement at a durbar at Banda-Ahenkro in the Banda District of Brong-Ahafo Region in honour of Mrs. Lordina Mahama, the First Lady, who was in the area to donate medical suppliers from the Lordina Foundation to the Banda-Ahenkro Health Centre.

He said the CHPS compounds served as the immediate source of healthcare in rural and deprived communities, hence such a policy was inimical to their health and well-being.

“According to the new policy, which took effect in March 2016, deliveries are not even supposed to be done at the CHPS Zones, while certain basic drugs which hitherto were administered at the facilities have been removed,” the Banda MP explained.

Mr. Ibrahim, who is the Deputy Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, said the Government was using the CHPS system to enhance access to healthcare delivery in Ghana and most importantly reduce maternal mortality.

“Hence the implementation of that policy by the GHS is contrary to Government’s Health Policy”, and, therefore, appealed to the Ministry of Health to intervene for its review in the interest of the rural dwellers.

“If all the investments in the CHPS system, including the 10 per cent deductions from the salaries of Government Appointees were allowed to go to waste, Ghana would be the ultimate loser,” Mr. Ibrahim added.

Mrs. Mahama appealed to Ghanaians to go for regular medical check-ups for early detection of diseases for their efficient management to prevent untimely deaths.

On behalf of the Lordina Foundation, she donated medical suppliers including hospital beds valued at thousands of Ghana Cedis to the Banda-Ahenkro Health Centre.

When contacted, Dr. Osei Kuffour Afreh, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Deputy Director, Public Health, however, explained to the Ghana News Agency that the GHS was not implementing any New Drug Administration Policy.

“Rather the new wave that the National Health Insurance Authority is towing in the removal of some commodities such as antibiotics and also essential services like emergency deliveries at the Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds,” he explained

This would greatly affect the achievement of universal health coverage at the lower level of the health services delivery in the country.”