GMA pledged support for drone medical deliveries deal – Govt

Government has dismissed claims by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) that it was not aware of the service agreement deal to have drones deliver essential medical supplies to remote areas in Ghana.

According to a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Pius Enam Hadzide, the General Secretary of the Association, Dr Justice Yankson welcomed the deal when the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia announced it at the 2018 Annual Health Summit in Accra. [The summit was held in April 2018].

At a press briefing in Accra Wednesday morning, Mr Hadzide said the current posture of the GMA on the matter was surprising.

The GMA on Tuesday called on government to suspend the project since it didn’t conform to the existing primary health care policy in Ghana.

It also claimed that the association was not consulted on the matter and therefore called for a broader stakeholder consultation.

Dismissing the claims by the GMA, Mr Hadzide said Dr Yankson gave the association’s blessings on the new policy since, according to him, it would strengthen emergency medical service in the country.

Related: GMA backs use of drones to improve healthcare delivery

He quoted Dr Yankson as saying: “Well, for us as an association, on countless occasions, we have bemoaned the state of emergency medical service in the country, so if efforts are being made by the government to ensure we strengthen that aspect of our healthcare delivery, then we say kudos”.

“Government is therefore taken aback at the current position of the GMA when it says the proposed services to be provided by the drones do not conform to the primary healthcare policy in Ghana,” he said.