More than 150 businesses from Ghana, India, Turkey, USA, Egypt, Italy and other countries will converge on Accra from May 3 to 5, 2023 for this year’s West Africa Pharma Health Care exhibition.
The three-day event will bring together key decision-makers and captains of the health industry such as manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers and distributors of the medical diagnostic pharmaceutical sector in the sub-region.
The second edition of the exhibition is being organised by an Indian-based company, Wegvoraus in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
Launching the event in Accra yesterday, the Deputy Director of Technical Coordination, Ministry of Health, Ms Deborah Djanie stated that the event was timely as it will ensure development in Ghana’s sector.
She urged all business owners in the pharmaceutical industry to take advantage of the exhibition to collaborate with foreign exhibitors to grow their businesses and contribute to the socio-economic growth of the country.
Ms Djanie pledged support towards the success of the exhibition and hinted at future collaborations between the MOH and Wegvoraus.
She underscored the need to properly regulate the procurement and distribution of pharmaceutical products and medical devices to follow approved standards.
Ms Djanie stated that to ensure that challenges within the health sector were addressed, the MOH had devised a Framework Contract Arrangement in the Health sector to compel all health facilities to source for commodities from the Central and Regional Medical Stores.
“The framework includes well-defined and well-understood roles and responsibilities for both the Ministry and suppliers, supported by clearly defined lines of communications and collaborative relationships and set standards for goods procured under the framework contract,” she explained.
Ms Djanie hinted of the MOH’s collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to improve market surveillance of medical devices and ensure enforcement of the procurement and use of only FDA-registered products.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Federation of Africa Medical Equipment Disposables Devices Manufacturers and Suppliers (FOAMEDDMS), Mr Anthony Ameka, said organisation was committed to collaborating with the MOH to develop a National Medical Devices Policy, to provide a general framework for the development of health technologies in Ghana, and serve as a reference document for efficient and effective management of healthcare technologies.
The policy, he said, would justify the use of healthcare technologies whiles contributing toward the achievement of the overall health sector objectives.
He underscored the need for the MOH to include the acquisition of medical equipment in the Framework Contract Arrangement to reduce the cost of importation of the equipment for the medical facilities.
Mr Ameka expressed support towards the government’s vision of making Ghana a centre for medical excellence through the “Agenda 111 project.”
The Project Director of the West Africa Pharma Health Care Exhibition, Mr Thomas James, stated that the event was in line with the government’s mission to build a robust healthcare system and infrastructure in the country, hence the need for all stakeholders to be actively involved to ensure its success.
He urged all industry members and stakeholders to participate in the event to “meet and gel” with an existing and prospective business partner.
BY JESSEL LARTEY THERSON-COFIE
