Central Medical Stores fire: Parliament to summon Minister

Parliament is expected to summon the Minister of Health over investigations into the Central Medical Stores (CMS) fire at Tema two years ago.

“It is very necessary that we invite as a committee the Minister, and then officials of the Ministry to … educate us and then inform us as to what structures and interventions are in place to unravel the mystery pertaining to the burning of the Central Medical Store. I think that the new Minister has not been in office for long, but I think that it is time for him to take a critical look at the matter,” the Chairman of the Health Committee in Parliament, Collins Augustine Ntim, told journalists on Thursday, June 21.

Initial investigations undertaken during the erstwhile Mahama administration cited arson but the culprits are yet to be prosecuted over the incident.

It would be recalled that on January 13, 2015, the CMS was consumed by fire, resulting in the destruction of medical supplies and equipment.

Subsequently, an investigation was carried out and the report pointed out that it was arson. The suspected arsonist was named as Samuel Dogbe, who used to be a labourer at the CMS.

Subsequently, the government interdicted some 12 officials of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) who were suspected to have played various roles in the fire outbreak at the CMS. Not much progress has been made to bring the perpetrators to book afterwards.

The lack of prosecution has resulted in threats by international donors to withdraw assistance to the Health Ministry.