ESSENTIAL MEDICINES MUST BE ACCESSIBLE, NGO
ESSENTIAL MEDICINES MUST BE ACCESSIBLE, NGO September 22, 2010
BY P. A WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
A not-for-profit organisation, Medicine Transparency Alliance [META] in collaboration with the Integrated Social Development Centre has held a sensitisation forum for a cross section of stakeholders to solicit their views and suggestions to enhance its work.
META as a civil society organisation seeks to ensure that the general public especially the core poor have access to essential medicines in a transparent manner. The British Department for International Development is the main financier of META’s activities.
A representative of META, Mr. Ralph Ahiabu in a presentation at the forum observed that medicines are generally various and are used for different reasons. Therefore the procurement process for medicines should therefore be transparent and accessible to all so that no one person can monopolise the sale and distribution of such essential medicines.
Mr. Ahiabu said META which extended its work to Ghana in 2008, has put together a number of organisations which are working in concert to ensure that essential medicines are accessible, acceptable and affordable to all categories of people. META is an international body with presence in some African countries including Uganda, Ghana and the Gambia.
A staff of the Bolgatanga Mutual Health Insurance Scheme Mr. Dominic Kolbire who also gave a talk at the forum, said the health insurance scheme is a pro-poor scheme that has come to stay. He however observed that, abuse of the scheme on the part of health service providers and clients is threatening the existence and sustainability of the scheme.
Mr. Kolbire revealed that some clients deliberately move from one health facility to another faking ailments and claiming drugs for their unregistered family members and for other reasons not known.
He also disclosed the Bolgatanga scheme which has been in operation for the past six years has over 200,000 clients who benefit from the services of 36 health service providers.
Concerns about false medicine advertisements on radio and television and the need for sustained public education about various abuses of the health insurance scheme were also raised during the forum.
BY P. A WEDAM
ISD-BOLGATANGA MUNICIPAL
A not-for-profit organisation, Medicine Transparency Alliance [META] in collaboration with the Integrated Social Development Centre has held a sensitisation forum for a cross section of stakeholders to solicit their views and suggestions to enhance its work.
META as a civil society organisation seeks to ensure that the general public especially the core poor have access to essential medicines in a transparent manner. The British Department for International Development is the main financier of META’s activities.
A representative of META, Mr. Ralph Ahiabu in a presentation at the forum observed that medicines are generally various and are used for different reasons. Therefore the procurement process for medicines should therefore be transparent and accessible to all so that no one person can monopolise the sale and distribution of such essential medicines.
Mr. Ahiabu said META which extended its work to Ghana in 2008, has put together a number of organisations which are working in concert to ensure that essential medicines are accessible, acceptable and affordable to all categories of people. META is an international body with presence in some African countries including Uganda, Ghana and the Gambia.
A staff of the Bolgatanga Mutual Health Insurance Scheme Mr. Dominic Kolbire who also gave a talk at the forum, said the health insurance scheme is a pro-poor scheme that has come to stay. He however observed that, abuse of the scheme on the part of health service providers and clients is threatening the existence and sustainability of the scheme.
Mr. Kolbire revealed that some clients deliberately move from one health facility to another faking ailments and claiming drugs for their unregistered family members and for other reasons not known.
He also disclosed the Bolgatanga scheme which has been in operation for the past six years has over 200,000 clients who benefit from the services of 36 health service providers.
Concerns about false medicine advertisements on radio and television and the need for sustained public education about various abuses of the health insurance scheme were also raised during the forum.
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