Training workshop for chemical sellers held at Oda

Akim Oda, May 16, GNA - About 60 chemical sellers drawn from the Birim North and South districts have attended a week's care-shop training at Akim Oda designed to equip them with skills in the management of pharmaceutical services in their communities.

The care-shop programme, which was organized by the Ghana Social Marketing Foundation (GSMF), took the participants through franchise concept, business and entrepreneurship development, managing simple ailments of common occurrence and drug management among other topics. Mr Daniel Mensah, General Manager of GSMF, said their mission was to improve the quality of pharmaceutical service delivery to a large number of Ghanaians through the use of innovative ideas such as the franchising of existing Licensed Chemical Sellers (LCS).

He said even though for over 60 percent of the population, the chemical sellers' shop was the first point of call when seeking health services, the huge contributions LCS were making to help delivery were not given the recognition and support their services deserve. This, he noted, was because of numerous factors including the quality of service offered by LCS and affordability of the products they sell.

Mr Mensah said the training was to equip the participants with the skill to enable them offer quality, safe and reliable services like other health care professionals such as doctors, pharmacists and nurses. The Quality Assurance Manager of GSMF, Mr John Idun, reminded the participants of the important role they play in health care delivery in the country and advised them to put into practice what they have learnt. 16 May 05