Government urged to set up fund to support local pharmaceutical firms

Accra, Dec. 4, GNA - Mrs Patience Tsegah, Managing Director of Unicom Chemist Limited, one of Ghana's leading pharmaceutical firms, on Thursday tasked government to set up a fund that would support and protect indigenous pharmaceutical industry against large foreign competitors. "Government and all stakeholders should come to the aid of indigenous pharmaceutical industry in the form of setting up a fund that will be easily accessible to all," she said. "This will help protect our local industry against larger foreign competitors with unlimited funds who instead of setting up production plants to promote employment in this country rather come to wrest dealerships from smaller local firms, reaping what others have toiled, sown and nurtured," she added.

Speaking at the opening of an ultramodern warehouse of UNICOM at Mallam in Accra, Mrs. Tesgah noted that the fund, if established would also enable the Ghanaian pharmaceutical operators to become more committed in ensuring that quality, safe and efficacious medicines reached the general public at affordable prices. Giving an overview of UNICOM, Mrs. Tsegah said the company was originally set up to serve the University of Ghana community and its environs hence the name UNICOM. Major Courage Quashigah (Rtd), Minister of Health, who inugurated the warehouse, congratulated management of UNICOM for their foresight and bold initiative at promoting the development of healthcare for the accelerated socio-economic development of the nation. He expressed delight over the strategic placement of the facility in a densely populated place in the city. Major Quashigah said it was government's intension to ensure that the health sector played a key role in the nation's effort to transform the nation into a middle income country by 2015.

To that effect, the Ministry, for the first time had developed a cohesive National Health Policy that would guide the development of the nation in the future, he added.

According to him the new policy recognized the role of the health delivery industry, including firms from both public and private sector engaged in manufacturing and distribution of health products. "We believe that this industry can contribute to wealth creation through creating jobs, generating and inducing innovations in health technology and production of inputs for sustaining health services," said.

On UNICOM network, the Minister commended the company for providing services to community pharmacies, clinics and chemical sellers in communities outside the regional and district capitals, saying that, would go a long way to help those living in rural areas. "For us in the Ministry of Health, this is of strategic importance because one of our major objectives for the medium term is to ensure that all citizens of Ghana have access to the basic health service," he added.

The Minister said: "Our current statistics show that for nearly 40 per cent of the population, especially those living in the rural areas, this is not the case."

He said for some communities, the only available sources of health care outside the traditional and herbal medical system, were drug peddlers and quack doctors adding, "We recognize the role of the private sector in helping to resolve his challenge."

Dr Alex Doodu, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, urged the staff to do away with stealing of drugs, which could collapse the firm. He congratulated UNICOM for its achievement, saying their example showed that if the Ghanaian was given the right resource he would deliver. 4 Dec. 08