Fire ravaged Central Medical Store was not insured – Ministry

It has emerged that the Central Medical Store which was gutted by fire Tuesday Morning was not insured, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Health Service, Tony Goodman has said.

This means that government would have to bear the cost of the loss.

In an interview on Adom FMs ‘Dwaso NSem’, Wednesday morning, the PRO  said the ministry was making efforts to insure that facility before the unfortunate disaster occurred.

Similarly, other regional medical stores have not been insured, he said. He is hoping the fire outbreak will encourage government to insure public facilities.

According to Mr Goodman, every single portion of the facility was razed down by the inferno.

The Central Medical Store this morning 
He however dispelled fears that health facilities in the country in the coming days will experience shortage in their medical supply.

He said all Regional Medical Stores had taken their supply before the devastating incident occurred. This stock he indicates will last for some three months.

Mr Goodman assured that patients should rest easy because any medication they need will be provided for them and that there was no need to panic.

Joy News’ Kwetey Nartey visited the scene Wednesday morning and reported that portions of the store were still smouldering.

He said fire fighters were seen frantically looking for water to completely quench the fire.

Fire Service personnel combating the fire say they will engage the services of an evacuator to remove debris to avoid the fire reigniting.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service, the Health Ministry and the Fire Service are this morning beginning a full scale probe into the disastrous fire.

The Ghana Health Service is expected to later this morning meet to quantify the exact cost of the damage that has wiped out all of Ghana’s medical supplies stored at the facility.

The biggest drug distribution outlet in Ghana which belongs to the Ghana Health Service was engulfed by fire at about 9:00 am Tuesday Morning.

The Central Medical Store is the central storage facility for all of Ghana’s medical and related supplies. Every single medicine purchased by the state including drugs for Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and the recently imported Ebola PPE’s and treatment medication are all kept at the Central Medical Stores for distribution across the country.

Ghana Health Service has declared the incident a disaster.