By Jerry Azanduna
Kintampo (BE/R) April. 04, GNA- A renovated regional medical store has been inaugurated and handed over to the Bono East Regional Health Directorate for the storage of medicines and other health materials for supply to health facilities in the region.
The eight-well-equipped store facility was upgraded with an additional administration space for administrative work, an accounts office and other departments to facilitate effective administration of the facility.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) collaborated in support of the Regional Health Directorate to upgrade the facility to serve as a central medical store for the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of the facility at Kintampo in the Kintampo North Municipality of the region, Dr Wilfred Ochan, Deputy Country Representative for UNFPA, said the achievement of better health outcomes required a steady and sustainable supply of health commodities at all levels of the health care delivery system.
“There can be no health care delivery without commodities. Thus, investing in the supply chain system to deliver commodities to the last mile to reach women, girls and the public is undoubtedly very critical,” he said.
Dr Ochan, therefore, commended the country’s health services managers for efficient healthcare delivery outcomes, saying, it was an appreciated fact that the country had demonstrated impressive commitment over the years to improve the health supply chain system.
He mentioned that the UNFPA remained committed to its mission by collaborating with partners to ensure that access to sexual and reproductive health information and services was available for particularly women and girls to make their choices of family planning (FP) methods whenever needed.
“UNFPA is committed to ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled through our three transformative results of reaching zero unmet need for FP, zero maternal mortality and zero sexual and gender-based violence,” Dr Ochan stated
He added that besides supporting the renovation and upgrading of the medical stores, the “UNFPA has supported the Government and partners to among others, build the competencies of key supply chain officials in the region in the best warehousing standards and logistics management.”
Madam Elizabeth Williams, the officer in charge of Health Systems Strengthening at USAID, lauded the central location of the medical stores and donated a set of computers and their accessories to help in recording activities in the facility
Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, the Regional Director of Health Services commended the partners and assured them that the Directorate would ensure efficient management of the facility.
Present at the ceremony were Mr Kwasi Adu-Gyan, the Bono East Regional Minister and Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Services.
GNA