Ghana to use drones to deliver essential medicines to remote areas – Dr. Bawumia

Government will from September use drones to deliver essential medical supplies facilitate in the country, especially in rural areas. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia who announced this Monday said it has become necessary for government to look beyond the conventional ways of health delivery. “We are looking at innovative ways to deliver blood supplies as well as essential medicines to remote areas. As the rains come in some areas are going to be cut off,” he said. He said this at the opening ceremony of the Ministry of Health and Development Partners 2018 Health Summit in Accra. The vice president said government will by next week sign agreements that will see government use drone technology to salvage the situation where some areas may be cut off by rains. “I’m glad to report that…I think this week will be signing an MOU and by the middle of this year or maybe by September we will join Malawi and Rwanda in using drone technology to deliver blood supplies and essential medicines”, he stated. Dr. Bawumia reiterated government’s determination to achieve universal health coverage and access for every Ghanaian through the implementation of strategic policies and programmes. “Achieving universal health coverage is not easy, and for any government it will represent a major burden on the budget. But the Government of Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is very committed to universal health coverage”, he stated Alluding to the lack of ambulances as a situation that has hampered the operations of the National Ambulance Service, he indicated government, through the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives has begun the process of procuring ambulances for all 275 constituencies in the country to augment the aging fleet of the Ambulance Service. Touting the successes of government in the area of health delivery, the he noted among other things that government has paid a substantial part of a legacy debt owed to National Health Insurance Scheme. He added government has removed the 17.5% VAT on essential imported medicines and re-instituted nurses training allowance to allow training of essential health personnel. By editors.3news.com|Ghana