The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has donated laboratory equipment to the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) to facilitate pharmaceutical, biological, and forensic analysis.
The Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, said the gesture by the Authority was intended to protect public health and wellbeing, as well as ensure the quality of petroleum products in the country.
The instrument, procured with the support of the NPA through Authentix, will be used at the organic chemistry laboratory of the National Nuclear Research Institute (NNRI) of GAEC. It will provide all laboratory analysts the opportunity to work with a user-friendly, high-output, sensitive instrument with multiple detectors that can handle various product types, thus improving the timeliness of the analysis of pharmaceuticals, forensic, biological, industrial, and other regulated products.
It will also enhance the ability of all analysts to detect and identify substandard and falsified medical products, as well as unwholesome foods, in a collective effort to protect public health.
Addressing the gathering at the commissioning of the Agilent Gas Chromatography Equipment with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) at the GAEC premises, the NPA boss, Dr. Abdul-Hamid, indicated that his organization would continue to support research activities to help protect public health and ensure the quality of petroleum products. He also emphasized support for research institutions in all facets to help protect public lives and maintain a conducive and healthy environment for all.
The event, he said, demonstrated the utility of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative by the NPA, aimed at skill and knowledge development, and importantly, at providing a stronger relationship between industry and research-based institutions for the promotion of cutting-edge research.
He used the opportunity to commend the Quality Assurance Directorate of the NPA for their hard work in maintaining the quality of petroleum products in Ghana.
The Board Chairman of GAEC, Dr. Kwaku Aning, expressed appreciation to the NPA and Authentix for this kind gesture and expressed optimism for the future of this initiative.
He said the new equipment would greatly enhance the institute’s and the commission’s ability to perform timely and accurate biological, environmental, and chemical residue analysis on a wide range of samples.
He further hinted that the Environmental Resources Center (ERRC) at the National Nuclear Research Institute (NNRI) is currently in the process of acquiring ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory accreditation for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory.
He believes that once acquired, this accreditation would contribute to the modernization of the Organic Chemistry Laboratory with the donated GC-MS.
On his part, the Director-General of GAEC, Prof. Samuel Boakye Dampare, assured GAEC’s commitment to using research and development activities to further impact the mining and minerals exploration, human health and medicine, food and agriculture, petrochemical, and other sectors. He also called for more support from the NPA in acquiring related equipment like a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) setup to make the laboratory fully functional.
The NPA team included the Director of the Unified Petroleum Price Fund (UPPF), Mr. Jacob Amoah, who also doubles as a Board Member of the GAEC committee that managed the GC-MS project.
