The Minister for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang Manu, yesterday ‘snubbed’ the Parliamentary Committee on Health by failing to appear before the Committee to respond to issues on vaccine shortage.
The Committee’s probe forms part of its oversight responsibility, mandated by the Standing Orders of Parliament and backed by the Constitution.
The probe has been necessitated by the recent shortage of vaccines in the country, which led to an increase in infant mortality rate.
Aside the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, Vaccine Control Program, Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance and the National Health Insurance Authority were also to appear before the Committee.
Among the four agencies, the NHIA was the only one that showed up at the meeting.
The Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Affiduase/Asokore, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie noted that he was not aware why the Ministry and its three agencies failed to show up.
Speaking specifically about the Ministry, Dr Ayew Afriyie said that the Chief Director called at the time the meeting was about to commence and indicated the ministry’s inability to show up,pleading that the meeting be scheduled to March 7, 2023.
Unhappy about the turn of events, the former Chief Whip of the Minority and a member of the Committee, Mr Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, indicated that the Minister should be subpoenaed because his omission to act promptly can lead to more mortality and the use of the nation’s scare resources to fight it.
He said the Ministry should not be allowed to come to the Committee with its own terms and conditions.
“Mr Chair, we cannot accept the 7th of March, we need to issue a subpoena…”
He lamented about how attitudes such as that of the Ministry weakens democracy, especially the oversight responsibility of Parliament.
The Ranking Member of the Committee, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh also agreed with the former Chief Whip that the Minister should subpoenaed.
“…I have no option than to agree with the former Whip on the Minority side,Mr Muntaka’s call to subpoena the Minister responsible for Health to come and answer questions…,” he said.
Mr Akandoh said it was disheartening that the Ministry did not honour the request of the Committee noting that a responsible Minister would have even been the one to initiate the process on calling on the Committee for the way forward, instead of waiting for the Committee to invite them.
