THE decision by the government to use technology, especially drones to deliver medical supplies and products to remote and inaccessibly areas across the country is indeed, a novelty for inclusive healthcare delivery.
There is no doubt that technology is necessary in our quest for Universal Health Coverage so that basic healthcare is affordable, equitable and easily accessible by all.
However, we are of the opinion that the use of drones in emergency medical service delivery must be synchronised with other mechanisms to support aerial distribution in view of the limited load that drones can carry.
Although there is total support for use of technology for the benefit of a wide range of people who are in need of healthcare, the cost of the technology has been the bone of contention, given the economic challenges facing the country.
The Parliamentary approval of the $12.5 million service agreement between the government and Fly Zipline Ghana Limited for the delivery of emergency health and blood products to public health facilities has generated heated debate.
Other individuals and civil society organisations have expressed misgivings about the cost implications of the project and expressed the varied views of improving health and road infrastructure to support healthcare delivery in the country.
In fact, some are of the view that there is urgent need to staff the medical facilities in the hard-to-reach areas and adequately train them to be efficient in service delivery in rural settings.
Others also argue for the procurement of standard ambulances to support in emergency healthcare delivery.
All the views expressed mean well for the interest of Ghana, and we hope that the government would take all concerns on board for efficient implementation of the project and in subsequent agreements for emergency service delivery.
At this point of our national development, we need sustainable solutions to our pressing national problems and challenges. There should be consensus the best way forward in solving national problems, relative to our economic circumstance.
The Ghanaian Times is in total agreement with the move by the government to open up the space for more consultation with key partners, especially the Ghana Medical Association in the implementation of the Drone Health Delivery System to ensure maximise healthcare delivery and value for money.
We believe that wider consultation on public policy would be of benefit to the country in terms of acceptability and sustainability of policies.
The challenges of the health care system are numerous and borders mostly on wrong judgement in procurement, poor attitudes to work and lack of maintenance culture.
Most ambulances and other equipments that we import into the country for emergency healthcare delivery were short-lived, arising from poor quality and recklessness in handling them.
We are not oblivious to the efforts of governments to adequately resource the health sector and retool health facilities, but lack of adequate care and maintenance culture have always brought us back to square one.
We should be proud of our work and give our best to society in terms of efficient service delivery and handle our working tools with care.
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