The Ministry of Health has refuted another media report suggesting it is procuring Sputnik V vaccines at US$26 a dose.
A statement issued and signed by the chief director of the ministry said that after final negotiations with SL Global, both parties arrived at US$18.5 per dose and not US$26 in April 2021.
“The Ministry of Health takes note of a publication on Myjoyonline.com on 10 June 2021 with the headline ‘Government contracts another company to purchase 5 million Sputnik V vaccine [sic] at US$26 per dose’.
“The ministry hereby informs the general public that the reports that the government will further procure vaccines at US$26 per dose [are] untrue,” the statement said.
It said the government is working diligently to acquire sufficient quantities of vaccines to immunise the majority of Ghanaians and help the country reach herd immunity despite the supply constraints.
Read the full statement (below):
No strained relations
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has said that Ghana’s relationship with Russia is still healthy despite Russia’s inability to supply Sputnik V to Ghana under a government-to-government arrangement.
The minister has come under criticism after a Norwegian newspaper reported the Ghanaian government’s inability to acquire Sputnik V at the ex-factory price of US$10 instead of US$19, raising suspicions of strained relationship between the two countries.
Addressing the press in Accra on Monday 14 June, the Foreign Affairs Minister said it is difficult to procure vaccines directly from manufacturing companies because of the spike in demand globally.
“Our relations with Russia are excellent. We have no problems with Russia now when it comes to engagements concerning, say, procurement or whatever. The first step is the Foreign Ministry engaging the embassy here because Russia is represented by the ambassador,” she said.
Botchwey added: “I had discussions with the Russian ambassador on Ghana’s desire to purchase vaccines from Russia … Let’s put it in this context: that it is difficult, extremely so, even if you have money, to procure vaccines from the source – it is almost impossible.
“Because, just as Ghana is looking for vaccines to buy, all nations are also looking for vaccines to buy and so it becomes quite difficult to get vaccines …”
Botchwey stressed that Ghana is not the only country facing the challenge of procuring vaccines for its citizens.
The minister said that despite the challenges, the government will not relent in its efforts to procure vaccines at source.
Fred Dzakpata
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