Waive VAT on imported medical equipment, UK based Ghanaian

Apedwa (Eastern Region) 20 April ?99

A Ghanaian resident in the United Kingdom (UK) has appealed to the government to take a second look at charging the Value Added Tax (VAT) on imported medical equipment.

Mr Brian Kesse Adu, Clinical area Manager for Barnet Health Care HNS Trust in London, said exempting VAT on medical equipment would allow Ghanaians resident abroad to contribute their quota to the health delivery sector.

Presenting 50 million cedis worth of medical equipment on behalf of the Apedwa citizens resident in the UK to the Apedwa Health Centre at the weekend, Mr Adu said efforts were being made to furnish the Centre's laboratory, as well as build additional wards to cope with the demands of the twin communities of Apedwa and Nkoronso.

The items included 27 beds, 27 mattresses, 50 chairs, a medical examination trolley and cupboards, among other things. Ms Emelia Amoasah, Senior Medical Assistant in charge of the Centre, expressed gratitude for the donation saying they would help alleviate the problems facing the centre.

She, however, appealed for an ambulance for the centre. The senior medical assistant recounted how nurses of the Centre often go combing the Apedwa township, in emergency cases, for a vehicle when patients are referred to other hospitals.