The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has responded to a video circulating on social media purporting that some medical supplies at the Bibiani government hospital in the Western North Region have been abandoned.
The said video showed dozens of medical supplies said to have been abandoned and left to rot at the Bibiani government hospital.
A statement signed by Dr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, indicated that the Bibiani government hospital was chosen as a temporary holding centre for non-medical supplies after the creation of the Western North Region.
This, according to the statement, was to ensure that health commodities were within reach of health facilities in the Western North region which did not have permanent storage facilities.
The statement explained that the items in the video were made up of nose masks, alcohol-based hand sanitisers, examination gloves, and coveralls received at the facility awaiting pick-up by the various district health directorates in the region.
The statement also indicated that the supplies were dropped off monthly and picked up promptly.
“Our report from the Bibiani Government Hospital has it that the video recording was done on the morning of Saturday, June 5, 2021.
“A bulk supply was received on June 3, 2021, at 5:33 am and the various districts were informed to arrange vehicles to pick up their consignment within four and eight hours. We are reliably informed that as of Sunday, June 6, 2021, five out of the nine districts had collected their consignments”.
The statement added that the items were in the stores or under temporary storage sheds guarded by security personnel. The service also emphasized that the impression created in the video, that the items have been abandoned, is erroneous and should be disregarded.
The service assured the general public that it was working with the Ministry of Health and other partners to put in place appropriate mechanisms to ensure effective storage and distribution of critical commodities to health facilities in the new region.
The statement commended the Western North Regional Health Directorate for making medical supplies readily available to health facilities, despite their challenges.
