The Ranking Member of Parliament’s health committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has called on the government to release funds to the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to perform its tasks efficiently.
He disclosed to the parliamentary press on Thursday that some key roles the authority plays for public safety are on suspension due to the lack of funds.
“What they are supposed to do, which includes Market Surveillance, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), have all been abated,” Mr Akandoh told journalists in Twi.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP’s concern stems from the growing production of consumable goods, which are sometimes unwholesome from their production and or supply points.
“The anthrax in the system now, for instance, is transmitted through the meat we consume; the FDA should be able to move from one restaurant to the other to check whether or not they are doing the right thing to prevent undesired effects, but they have stopped.
“On the GMP, the FDA should be able to travel to the manufacturing countries, for instance to Brazil, to check whether the corned beef they produce is safe, but they have stopped, and when you ask, they [FDA] say they have no funds,” the MP said.
According to him, the authority can do a random sampling in the market to verify the safety of products for the Ghanaian consumers, so the government, through the Finance Ministry, should release the funds.
