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The annual conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has been held in Cape Coast, Central Region, with a call on the government and other stakeholders to accelerate efforts to tackle illegal mining or galamsey in the country.
“Galamsey is no longer only about the destruction of land and water. It is about our health and survival as a people.
The chemicals used are entering our bodies through the water we drink and the food we eat.
This situation must be treated with the seriousness it deserves,” the Omanhen of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, said.
He said the situation had moved beyond environmental concerns to a public health emergency where polluted rivers, poisoned farmlands, and contaminated food chains were putting the lives of citizens at risk.
The 89th annual meeting and conference was on the theme: "Strengthening pharmacy for primary health care."
Osabarimba also raised concerns over the increasing abuse of opioids and other drugs, saying the situation required urgent national attention.
The conference
He pledged his support to pharmacists and other health workers in their efforts to tackle both the galamsey menace and substance abuse.
Osabarimba also entreated the government to fast-track the posting of pharmacists to health facilities across the country.
He observed that despite the country’s urgent need for essential medical services, some trained pharmacists were still at home without jobs.
The President of PSGH, Dr Samuel Kow Donkoh, called on the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to consider operating on a 24-hour basis in line with the government’s economic agenda.
On postings of members, he appealed to the Ministry of Health to fast-track their employment.
The president said there were more than 1,000 pharmacists still awaiting permanent postings, with some sitting at home for more than nine months now.
He, however, praised the government for its efforts in healthcare delivery, including the establishment of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and the provision of free healthcare services for some critical ailments.
Dr Donkoh also added his voice to the growing concerns over the activities of galamsey, and said its destructive impact on water and agriculture was undermining the very foundation of public health.
The Central Regional Minister, Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, commended PSGH for its vision and contribution to the country’s healthcare system.
He said pharmacists remained an essential pillar in the nation’s health delivery structure.
Mr Eduamoah also said that the “Mahama Care” initiative was a step towards improving health care and, therefore, urged pharmacists to play a pivotal role in ensuring its success, particularly at the community level, where accessibility to medicines and expert guidance was a challenge.
He announced the government’s commitment to integrate community pharmacists into the health delivery system as a way of bringing professional health care closer to households everywhere in the country.
He further called on the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to prioritise enrolling people in remote communities onto the scheme, stressing that equitable access to health care was crucial for national development.
For his part, the Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, Desmond Boateng, said the government was working to extend health services to remote areas in the country to ease the burden on existing health facilities.
Awards were presented to individuals who had contributed significantly to the profession, while a cake was cut to celebrate the society’s 90th anniversary next year.
