Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee in Parliament has criticized Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu for the reasons offered over the vaccine shortage in Ghana.
He expressed his disappointment with the Minister’s press conference, which lacked specific timeframes for the release of childhood vaccines.
Kwaku Agyemang-Manu promised that several crucial infant vaccines would be accessible in a few weeks, but did not specify when they would arrive in the country.
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said on Eyewitness News, the Minister should hang his head in shame for not staying on top of matters.
“The explanation is empty, disappointing, and I am very sad as a Ghanaian, to say the least. In his attempt to hurriedly respond to our demand to make vaccines available, I think he has made a mess of himself because there are no timelines. This is an emergency issue. It looks as if the government is joking with this explanation. I was looking forward to hearing that this date, vaccines will be made available, and then they will be distributed.”
Notwithstanding reports by the National Health Insurance Authority that more than GH70 million had been authorized for the purchase of the vaccines, certain regions of the country have been affected by a lack of vaccines in recent months.
The country’s scarcity of vaccines, according to the minority in parliament, is an obvious sign of the incompetence of the government.
Parliament excused Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu on the measures being taken to solve the nation’s lack of infant immunizations.
This came after the House Business Committee had invited him to speak to the House about the vaccine shortage.
“The Minister cannot tell us when it is the most important aspect. I cannot simply imagine this. The explanation was empty, there was no substance. He should stop provoking us until he provides us with vaccines. And we are not going to stop and we will continue to put pressure on him to appear in parliament to provide tangible and reasonable answers. The person who asked him to provide these answers has done him a great disservice,” Mr Akandoh added.