By Josephine Akari.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, has called on the government to provide ready market funding and low interest rate for the production of locally manufactured vaccines.
As a prelude to World Pharmacists Day in Accra, which fell on Saturday, September 25, 2021, President of the Society, Samuel Kow Donkoh, said the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, is ready to support government in the production of locally manufactured vaccines to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that the Society is well equipped and has qualified professionals to produce the vaccines.
World Pharmacist Day is celebrated every year on September 25 to recognise the contribution of Pharmacists to the Public health sector. The theme for this year’s celebration, “Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health’’ acknowledges the fact that trust between the patient and the healthcare is important in provider-patient interaction and rapport as it influences patient outcomes, especially in long term diseases.
It also recognizes the fact that pharmacists have consistently been named among the top five trusted professionals in national and international surveys. President of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Pharmacist Samuel Kow Donkor said government’s support to pharmacies to manufacture local vaccines will help save lives and generate income for the country, adding that it would make the country self-reliant especially in the advent of covid -19 vaccine productions.
“We have a number of experts in the industrial Pharmacy who can help manufacture local vaccines. Government has to provide a guaranteed market so that once vaccines are produced, they will be taken up and made available to the citizens of the country. It will be a waste of time if productions are ready but no ready market. Secondly the government must provide funding and ensure that the needed funds are at a very low interest rate for these capital-intensive ventures. We cannot borrow from the ordinary market. At the current interest rate, nobody can borrow for the manufacture of vaccines,’’ he said.
A member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Nana Yaa Appiah advised Ghanaians not to solely rely on information on the internet but always seek medical advice from a pharmacist or Professional health officer for medication.
“The myth that Google has all the answers is wrong. Because of the internet you get clients from all over the world, and because they might have read some symptoms from the internet, they always think it is the right information. Let me note that information from the internet is not always the best. Seek for professional advice,” she stated.
Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr. Emmanuel Odame encouraged people to get tested for covid 19 and also take the jab for their safety from the disease.