About 94 per cent of agencies mainly non-­governmental organisations (NGOs) en­gaged in medical supply programmes in the coun­try concentrate their activities in the southern part of the country. Sixty-two per cent of the agencies are faith-based institutions. This came to light at the presentation of reports on a standardised survey conducted between July and.September 2007. The 36-page document was compiled by Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD), a non­profit organisation under the sponsorship of Johnson and Johnson, a United States based pharmaceutical company. Students of the Valley View University and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Tech­nology were selected to undertake the research in two zones in the north and south. It said that 32 per cent of the agencies do not re­ceive donations of medical equipment on regular ba­sis while only 74 per cent of the equipment they re­ceive arrive in acceptable conditions. Presenting the report, the Coordinator of PQMD, Mr. Seth Wiafe, said it covered five thematic areas of the medical supplies, namely consumables, drugs, equipment, pharmaceuticals and single-disease initia­tives. Mr. Wiafe said he was motivated by the disparities in the distribution of donated medical supplies to health institutions and how they do not benefit some of the recipients while others have in excess. The report therefore recommended the enforce­ment of existing policy and regulations on medical donations to ensure equity, adding that a provision should be made for the introduction of sharing of stan­dard equipment list that would enforce compliance. The list would serve as a guide to ensure equity in the distribution which is presently hindered by factors such as inaccessibility and the poor office facilities used by some of the agencies. Mr Wiafe expressed the hope that the report would afford those agencies the opportunity to redouble their efforts to correct the disparity. He commended Johnson and Johnson for provid­ing the funding for the project. Dr. Seth Laryea, president of the Valley View University, called for a network of donors and recipi­ents of medical supplies so that they can share ideas on what to give and where to give it. He said the network would help alleviate the suf­fering of the people who might be in need of these medical supplies. The Director of Corporate Contribution of Johnson and Johnson, Mr. Conrad Person, assured PQMD of the company's continuous support to ensure that health delivery is accessed by all in the country. Source: Ghanaian Times