‘Drones for Medical Supplies Necessary; Don’t Politicize It’ – GHS Boss

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has described the drone delivery of medical supplies as the most efficient and cost-effective means of reaching under-served areas in the country.

According to the Director General of the GHS, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the use of drone technology to deliver emergency services fits perfectly into government’s plan of achieving access to Universal healthcare in the country.

Dr. Nsiah-Asare explained that the drones to be procured by Government at a cost of $12m will make Ghana the most “advanced healthcare supply chain in the world.”

The Minority has, however, rejected the services agreement between Government and Zipline, the company contracted to procure the drones describing it as a misplaced priority.

Briefing the press in Parliament, the GHS boss explained it is unfortunate that a critical matter of health is being politicized.

“I am surprised yesterday, I was watching the news and I wanted to call the Chairman of the parliamentary select committee on health. Health, so far as some of us are concerned, is not politics. You can sit here and politicise health, but when you are sick you don’t show your party colors. It is when you are in the village and you are bitten by a snake and then you will see what we are talking about.

“The drone is going to be 24 hours that is day and night. It is going to be a 24-hour service, when you do only day and there is an emergency at night, what are you going to do?” he asked.

Dr. Nsiah-Asare also disclosed that the drone delivery service will be run by the GHS.

He also explained that the committee in charge of overseeing the initiative by Government is made of up not only health professionals, but officials from the Aviation sector, National Security and the Attorney’s General Dept.

“We have formed a committee at the instance of the Vice-President and the committee is not only made up of health professionals. We have officials from the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, National Blood transfusion, Ghana Civil aviation authority, National Security and an official from the Attorney General’s Dept. Ghana has done due diligence. They have gone to see what the flight levels are. Where they fly and everything has been done already,” he said.

Source: Citinewsroom