‘Political saboteurs’ caused central medical stores fire – NDC Cadres

Source: citifmonline.com -  The United Cares’ Front (UCF) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it strongly suspects political saboteurs to be behind the fire outbreak at the Central Medical Stores in Tema.

“This sad development should not be considered an accident but rather, an intentional and sponsored wicked act by political saboteurs who are determined to make this country ungovernable,” a statement signed by UCF’s General Secretary, Efanam Nyaku Felix, stated.

A fire outbreak at the Central Medical Stores on Tuesday destroyed over Ghc237 million worth of medical items.

The fire that lasted for hours was finally doused on Wednesday by firefighters.

The incident has raised concerns that public hospitals nationwide will be starved of medical supplies, but the Health Minister has assured that there are supplies at the various regional stores to last about three months.

However, the group is certain that the various fire outbreaks that plagued key institutions in the country since the NDC assumed the reigns of government in 2009 were all orchestrated by political saboteurs.

They mentioned the fire which burnt down the old Foreign Affairs office complex during the late President John Mills’ era, and the fire at the ECG warehouse in Kumasi recently, as well as the Central Medical Stores, as some of the many fires it believes the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) may have orchestrated.

The group in the statement explained that it is blaming the NPP because “the precedence of fire outbreaks, since the NDC was voted back to govern this country, are too overwhelming for us to consider them as mere accidents.”

They, therefore, want government to investigate thoroughly the current incident, to bring to book the perpetrators of what they have concluded “is arson.”

They further called on government to as a matter of urgency, secure all public utility installations to forestall further destruction of public property.

In a related development, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tema East, Titus Glover, is calling on government to enforce measures to help curb further fire outbreaks in the country, especially during the Harmattan season.

Titus Glover, who visited the Central Medical Stores that was gutted by fire, commended the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service for their bravery in putting out the fire.

He further pleaded with government to provide the service with modern equipment to enable them work efficiently and effectively.

“I want to encourage government that they should put their feet down to make sure that people who have been given responsible positions work. If you leave them, they will do what at all they like and that is the consequences that we are all facing today.”

Meanwhile, the National Insurance Commission (NIC) has ruled out any sanction against the Ministry of Health for failing to insure its warehouse.

Reports indicate that the building was not insured in contravention with the Insurance Act, which stipulates that commercial buildings must not be constructed without insuring with a registered insurer.

Reacting to the anomaly, the spokesperson for the NIC, Kojo Ghunney, said it will not be able to punish the management over the matter because the building is owned by government.

He said: “NIC cannot sanction the institution because it doesn't fall under our law. The law states that every institution should take compulsory fire insurance and that it should be done to only privately owned building and not government buildings so once the central medical stores belongs to the government NIC is not obliged to sanction the institution. If it were privately owned hospital, then NDC would have invited the police.”