C/R health workers schooled on regulation of medical devices

Mr Joseph Bennie, Head of Medical Devices of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has called on hospital and health facilities administrators, supply- chain and procurement officers, to ensure the procurement and purchase of quality medical products to enhance health care delivery in the country.

He said if such officers were not sure of the quality and efficacy of products procured, they should demand the licenses and registration certificates of the importers and suppliers, or liaise with the FDA to ensure that they were being supplied with quality goods.

Mr Bennie made the call during a day’s National Training Workshop on the Regulation of Medical Devices in Ghana, for more than 40 health workers drawn from hospitals and health facilities in the Central Region in Cape Coast.

The workshop, the fifth in a series, was sponsored by the Department For International Development (DFID), and attended by clinical and laboratory technicians, pharmacists and administrators.

They were taken through the Law on Medical Device (Act 851), new guidelines for registration, and the way forward for Medical Devices Regulation in Ghana.

The law, among others, is to ensure that medical apparatus, implements, medical equipment, machines, implants and In-vitro reagent, as well as diagnostic kits, syringes, bandages, sanitary pads and diapers, are regulated to ensure that they perform the functions expected of them.

Mr Bennie explained that, the Food and Drug Law, apart from ensuring that food and drugs were wholesome for consumption, it also allowed for the regulation of medical devices and medical supplies.

He urged procurement officers not to purchase products that were not licensed and registered, and gave the assurance that the FDA would continue to educate the public on the need to patronize goods that were registered and licensed.

Mr Bennie said the major challenge facing the Authority was the porous borders of the country which allowed people to bring in all kinds of products which were not critically checked.

He, therefore, urged the security agencies at the border posts to be vigilant, and ensure that only quality goods were imported.

He warned that it was an offence punishable by law for anyone to dispose of unwholesome goods without the supervision of the FDA, adding that one could be fined 5,000 penalty units or two months imprisonment when caught.

Mrs Ekua Amartey, Deputy Chief Executive responsible for Medical Devices Cosmetic and Household Devices said quality Medical Devices were very important for proper health care delivery in the country.

She pointed out that items like diagnostic kits, if not of good quality when used, can give wrong diagnosis and false reports, and stressed that it was important to regulate medical devices to enable them function as expected of them.

Mr Kwame Nsiah Poku, Central Regional Director of FDA said it was time for Ghanaians to take their destiny into their own hands, noting that Ghanaians were vulnerable when it came to the sale of herbal drugs in commercial vehicles.

He urged all to be vigilant, and endeavour to report all persons engaged in the production and importation of low quality goods.