Fire Service, BNI submit reports on Central Medical Stores

Two organisations which carried out separate investigations into the fire that destroyed the Central Medical Stores (CMS) in Tema have submitted their reports to the government.

Mr Alex Segbefia, the Minister of Health, who made this known in Accra Tuesday, said the findings of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) were being studied by the government.

Taking his turn at the meet-the-press series in Accra, the minister gave an assurance that should the cause of fire be found to be arson, anyone found culpable would be severely dealt with.

Meanwhile, he said, the ministry had taken steps to ensure that all regional and district medical stores put in measures, including the installation of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, to safeguard their warehouses against fire outbreaks.

On January 13, 2015, fire destroyed the CMS, resulting in the loss of millions of cedis worth of essential medicines and equipment, a development that massively challenged healthcare delivery in the country.

Medical supplies, non-drug medical consumables, medical equipment and food items estimated at over GH¢261 million (equivalent to $81.7 million) were lost to the fire.

Construction of hospitals

Mr Segbefia said the Ministry of Health (MoH) had begun the construction of seven new district hospitals at an estimated cost of $175 million.

The new hospitals are sited in the Sekondi-Takoradi municipality and at Dodowa, Fomena, Garu, Abetifi and Kumawu.

On completion, they would be fully equipped with modern facilities and integrated IT systems, he said.

Medical devices

The minister said medical devices had also been supplied to or installed in some health facilities, at a cost of $267 million, under the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Fund, adding that the initiative had ensured the provision of critical diagnostic and treatment equipment for more than 150 hospitals nationwide.

“Under this programme, the nation’s foremost teaching hospital, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, received significant resources to replace and rehabilitate obsolete equipment and theatres.

“The Pediatric Surgery Theatre, which remained closed for eight years, the General Services Theatre and the Babies’ units have all been refurbished and are currently operational,” he said.

Health delivery

On the reverse side, Mr Segbefia said, in mid-year the health sector suffered industrial unrest of massive proportions that threatened to undermine the gains the ministry had made towards the protection and safeguard of the health and very lives of the people.

He said the health sector could not escape the current economic difficulties confronting the country, indicating that the operations of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had been undermined by untimely releases of funds.

He said the government was determined to ensure that funds were made more readily available, so that refund to service providers could be made on time.

He said to help offset the challenges, the NHIS had introduced the electronic claims submission and processing system to inject greater efficiency, speed and uniformity in claims management.

CHIPS compounds

 On the Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHIPS) compound, Mr Segbefia said out of the 2,948 CHIPS zones demarcated, CHIPs structures and compounds had been provided in 1,260, while the government had embarked on the construction of 1,600 additional CHIPS compounds in all the 10 regions.

He said most of the facilities would deliver maternal and neonatal services to accelerate the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals on the reduction in maternal and neonatal deaths in the country.

He said to complement the roll-out of the CHIPS compounds, more community health nurses and midwives were being trained to man the compounds and deliver basic health services to the people.