Release Funds to FDA to Perform it’s Mandate -Minority to Fin.Minister
The Ranking Member of Health committee, Kwabena Minta Akandoh has asked the Finance Ministry to release monies to the Food and Drugs Authority to help them carry out its functions of market surveillance in order to curb outbreak of infectious diseases.
The FDA exist to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, food, biological products, cosmetics, medical devices, household among others, and Act 7 of the Public Health Act, (Act 851) deals with the establishment and functions of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
His comments follow reports of a suspected anthrax outbreak in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region last month by officials of the Ghana Health Service who confirmed that one person died while 11 others were infected with suspected anthrax after consuming the carcass of dead cattle.
Addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps at parliament house in Accra, he said “It will interest you to know that FDA has stopped these activities subjecting everybody in the public to a very high risk -infact the market surveillance is what allows the FDA to authenticate the wholesomeness or otherwise of foods and other products in the system -the market surveillance
With the outbreak of anthrax, everybody would have expected that the FDA would have intensified its operations, but unfortunately, they have stopped this market surveillance.”
According to him, the Minister responsible for Finance is refusing to release money to the Authority,
“We are calling on the government through the finance minister that as a matter of urgency they should release money to the FDA to continue to perform their mandate as expected, this is very sensitive because we have anthrax at hand and this surveillance can be best done by FDA.”
Further, he indicated that government was able to mobilise money for the continuation and completion of projects in the just ended Assin North by-elections, and went ahead to organize money to induce voters but “a matter that borders on public health, we have no money to undertake this activity.”
Act 7 of the Public Health Act, (Act 851) deals with the establishment and functions of the Food and Drugs Authority(FDA), and Section 81 of the same Act, outlines the functions and duties of the authority -one of the functions of FDA is to provide standards for series of foods, medical equipment and drugs, some of the activities leading to the performance of these functions include market surveillance, GMP (General Manufacturing Processes Inspection) these are key activities that helps the FDA to perform its functions.
The GMP inspection also allows the FDA to set standards or inspect standards for processes and manufacturing in the companies whether or not they are following the right standard both within the country and outside the country, medicines and drugs that are imported into the country.
“FDA sends their personnel to go and inspect whether they are doing the right thing, but as I speak to you now, they have stopped these activities and the only reason they are giving is that the FDA is broke -they have no money.” Mr.Akandoh noted.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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