The Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan Constituency, Hon. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has expressed her honour at delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Ministry of Health at the 17th Annual General Meeting of the Health Sector Supply Chain Professionals Association, Ghana, held in Takoradi.
Addressing participants at the AGM, she noted that the theme, “Supply Chain Evolution: Embracing Change and Adapting Roles for Success,” is not just a title but a call to action that aligns deeply with Ghana’s national agenda. She explained that the global landscape is in constant flux, marked by geographical shifts, economic volatility, and the unprecedented shocks of the global pandemic—factors that can instantly paralyze even the strongest health systems. These external pressures, she said, demand a fundamental re-evaluation of how supply chains are conceived, built, and coordinated.
Hon. Ayensu-Danquah highlighted that the supply chain remains at the core of Ghana’s health agenda. In the health sector, it serves as a lifeline—“a silent hero”—connecting patients in remote communities to essential medicines, vaccines, and services that save lives. Guided by the Health Sector Medium-Term Development Plan (2022–2025), she stated that achieving universal health coverage is impossible without a robust and resilient supply chain.
She revealed that the key pillars of the 2025–2029 Supply Chain Master Plan focus on building resilience, with the Ministry aggressively implementing the interventions outlined in the plan. Building on previous progress in scheduled deliveries, she noted—as will be expanded on by Dr. Bright Agyekum—that the focus is now shifting towards institutionalizing systems that can withstand shocks.
According to her, this requires diversifying sources, embedding contingency planning, and creating flexible networks to guarantee commodity security for all. She stressed that sustainability and ethics remain crucial, expressing interest in the insights to be shared by Hon. Banson Ahiabler on the “triple bottom line.” Their responsibility, she said, extends beyond cost and efficiency to include environmental protection, process integrity, and financial health.
She acknowledged challenges such as delayed payments across the system—including at the National Health Insurance Authority and health facilities—warning that such cycles of debt weaken the entire supply chain. Ethical sourcing, waste reduction, and adherence to non-negotiable standards, as Dr. Addai Donkor will emphasize, must remain central priorities. The evolution of the supply chain, she added, requires a matching evolution in the professionals who manage it.
Hon. Ayensu-Danquah stressed that the era of regarding supply chain professionals as mere logisticians is over. Those working in the field are now strategic partners in public health. As Dr. Jacob Kotormi and Mr. Obiri Yeboah (Esq.) will elaborate, modern roles require strategic thinking rather than reactive operations, advanced data literacy to improve forecasting accuracy, and the use of technologies such as the Ghana Integrated Logistics Management Information System. Competence in risk management and chain management, she emphasized, is essential to reduce stock-outs, ensure product quality, and adapt to emerging demands—because the success of Ghana’s health system depends on it.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Emmanuel Anyigba
