Juaboso Member of Parliament Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has said the vaccine shortage in parts of the country is a failure on the part of the government.
He asked the government, through the Minister of Health, to immediately announce to Ghana.
Addressing the press in Parliament on Tuesday, March 7 ahead of the press conference by Health Minster Kwaku Ageyamn-Manu, Mr Akandoh who is ranking member on the Health Committee of Parliament said “This is an emergency situation and the Minister and the government, this is a clear failure if the government, has looked on four months and we still don’t have vaccines in our system.
“I think that this is unpardonable because in the planning for vaccine procurements and its deployment, we are supposed to plan ahead. So for example, we look at the allocation for vaccines for 2024 in 2023, we look at the vaccines allocation for 2023 in 2022, so what have we run short of these vaccines?
“I think that this is highly unacceptable especially so when these vaccines are not over-the-counter medications where people can walk in and buy these vaccines, we are not so much interested in bg English, we are not so much interested in complex explanations, what we are interested in and I am expecting to hear is that at the end of the day, the minister announces that they have taken delivery of the vaccines and for that matter tomorrow they are starting the distribution of those vaccines. That is the only way out.”
The sector Minister, Mr Agyeman Many is expected to hold the press conference at 3PM today Tuesday, March 7 in Accra.
The Dormaa Central lawmakers expected to announce the measure to address the situation.
Nursing mothers have recounted how the vaccine shortage in parts of the country is affecting their babies.
A nursing mother at Adabraka Polyclinic in Accra, Naa Dromo Torto told TV3’s Judith Awortwe-Tandoh on Tuesday, March 7 that her 4-month-old baby has not received the polio vaccine for two consecutive months.
She said “Some mothers gave birth last month and they have not gotten the vaccines, this month too we are not getting so I think those babies are at high risk in experiencing some form of disabilities.”
Asked what assurances have been given to them to get their babies vaccinated, she said “Last month, they actually told me that the vaccine is finished so this month, Today too we are hearing the same story that there is still a shortage.”
Another mother Georgina Annum said “My baby is 9 months old. My baby has to take two vaccines, Polio and Yellow Fever but there is a shortage so right now we are waiting for the nurses to provide some for us. For two months now my baby has not been taking the two vaccines.”
Parts of the country have lately been experiencing a vaccine shortage of vaccines.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana