The Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, has said the Ministry was working hard to solve the problem of delays in appointment of pharmacists into the public sector. “This is a serious concern to the Ministry, and I would like to assure you that the ministry will see to the removal of all bottlenecks and ensure prompt employment and placement of all eligible pharmacists especially in the districts where their services are most needed,” he added. Mr Owusu-Agyei who was speaking at an induction ceremony for 150 newly qualified pharmacists said the ministry recognized the important contribution they were making towards the development of the country and assured them that increase in remunerations and better service conditions for pharmacists were high on the agenda of government. “I would assure you that the Ministry would do all it can to ensure that there is equity in rewarding all health professionals, including pharmacists for the invaluable roles they are playing in the health sector,” he said. Mr. Owusu-Agyei said one major concern was the lack of professional services in the rural areas where quality health care delivery was most needed, adding that it was typical with the provision of pharmaceutical services where rural dwellers were left at the mercy of drug peddlers and quacks. He said this led to the introduction of the District Pharmacy Concept in the 1990s being implemented by the Pharmacy Council to address the imbalances in pharmaceutical services. He said this had improved significantly, the provision of quality health care, and urged the council to marshal all its efforts to make the programme succeed. Mr Owusu-Agyei noted that the Ministry placed importance on quality health delivery and professional development and called on all stakeholders involved in the preparatory work towards the establishment of the Ghana Post Graduate College of Pharmacy to contact the MOH for the needed assistance. Mr Harrison Kofi Abutiate, Chairman of the Pharmacy Council called on the newly inducted pharmacists to uphold their dignity through diligence and hard work. Source: GNA