Suspend drones project immediately – Ghana Medical Association

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) is calling on the government to immediately suspend the planned implementation of a policy that will see to the delivery of blood and other medical supplies to remotes areas using drones.

Parliament Thursday approves a $12.5 million deal to contract US-based Fly Zipline International to distribute critical medicals supplies across the country for four years.

But the GMA in a press statement Thursday observed there needs to be a broader stakeholder engagement on the issue to set some fundamentals before the implementation of the policy.

According to the GMA, it is appropriate for them as an Association of Medical Doctors and Dentists, who are stakeholders in the policy to offer their perspective on the matter even though they have not been consulted.

The GMA says it is not averse to the use of technology to improve health care delivery but noted “health should not be politicized, and the health of Ghanaians is critical”.

The GMA further observed the proposed services to be delivered by the drone technology do not conform to the existing primary healthcare policy in the country.

The association also noted that the technology per se will not be a solution to the health care delivery challenges in the country with an improvement in human resource capacity.

GMA therefore wants the government to immediately suspend the implementation of the policy.