General News of Thursday, 13 December 2018

Source: mynewsgh.com

Top executives of GMA caught pants down over medical drones falsehood

GHS introduced the deal to help deliver blood and essential medicines across the country play videoGHS introduced the deal to help deliver blood and essential medicines across the country

Top executives of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have been badly exposed in their attempt to lie over the implementation of the drone delivery health system after participating in stakeholder engagement in its rollout.

The group whose top executives were actually consulted and their concerns taken with a view to make the Drone Medical services project rollout on time to provide emergency medical services for Ghanaians have said they were not involved at any stage of the project.

It has however emerged that GMA top executives were simply being dishonest in the media in an attempt to court public dissatisfaction for government.

At a press briefing Wednesday, Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide disclosed government’s utter surprise at the GMA’s claims that the “proposed services to be provided by the drones do not conform to the primary healthcare policy in Ghana” when they have been consulted.

According to him, the association initially embraced the initiative, thus its leadership’s change of mind is quite unexpected.

“The Ghana Medical Association welcomed the decision by government and to quote the General Secretary of the GMA Dr. Justice Yankson reaction to the announcement…[Well, for us as an association, on countless occasions, we have bemoaned the state of emergency medical service in the country, so if efforts are being made by the government to ensure we strengthen that aspect of our healthcare delivery, then we say kudos.] Government is therefore taken aback at the current position of the GMA,” Pius Hadzide said.

The Deputy Information Minister reiterated the relevance of the proposed drone delivery health system and urged stakeholders within the sector to support the initiative.

“The drone technology like other technology introduced into the health delivery system ladies and gentlemen fits well into the primary health care policy towards the achievement of universal health coverage. Government will want to once again urge stakeholders in the health sector to support the smooth run of the Drone Health Delivery System which received parliamentary approval yesterday,” he added.

He highlighted government’s commitment to ensuring “effective health care delivery in the country especially in rural areas” with the belief that “the Drone Health Delivery System will largely make an impact aside other measures to improve the health sector.”