By Maxwell Awumah
Ho, July 20, GNA – The Volta Regional Directorate of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has donated some medical commodities and sachet water to the inmates and Officers of the Ho Central Prisons as part of their 20th anniversary.
The assorted drugs, which was procured from clients of the FDA, include paracetamol, analgesic, cough and malaria drugs.
Mr Gorden Kwame Akurugu, Volta Regional Director of FDA, said the gesture was a continuous and an extension of their corporate social responsibility of two decades of existence in the Region.
He said the donated medications followed a request made by the inmates during a tour of the facility sometime ago by the FDA.
He said FDA was responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices; and by ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation.
Deputy Director of Prisons, Mr Raphael Tuekpe, Head of the Institution in the Volta Region, who was represented by Assistant Director, Mr Francis Dotsey, said the consignment of drugs came at the most opportune time.
He said that “now that the drugs have been delivered, it was left with the food aspect to complete the mandate of FDA, saying the donation was essential for the inmates as well as officers.”
Later in an interaction with inmates, Mr Akurugu encouraged them to be resolute with where they found themselves, saying “where you are, not the end of life, people still care about your predicament.”
Sharing some key achievements of FDA, he recounted that the Regional Directorate was awarded the Best Region for three consecutive times and Mr Akurugu winning the Best Regional Head for three consecutive times.
He said within the period, influx of counterfeit and unregistered and sub-standard drugs saw a reduction due to the 24 hour operation at the Aflao border and again increased revenue generation.
Other parts of the celebration took the form of radio advocacy, clean-up exercise and fun-games.
GNA