The Ministry of Health (MoH) has justified government’s acquisition of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine at $19 instead of $10.
According to the Ministry, the acquisition of the vaccines at $19 was as a result of government’s direct negotiation with a businessman rather than the Russian government.
The Ministry notes that, government’s decision to negotiate directly with a middleman was due to difficulty in obtaining the vaccine at the ex-factory price of $10 from the Russian government, hence its decision to go to market and engage a middleman.
The Ministry, in a press release however notes that, the $19 price for the vaccine is a reduction from the initial price of $25.
Stating that the price is the result of the cost build-up to the ex-factory price of $10 per dose taking into account land transportation, shipment, insurance, handling and special storage charges.
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“These are the factors which led us to agree the final price of $19 per dose,” averred the Ministry.
“It should also be noted that, at the time of the negotiations, there was scarcity of the vaccines on the market. Ghana had also been informed by COVAX that the AstraZeneca vaccines would arrive till the end of June 2021, so we were operating severely in the suppliers’ market,” added the Ministry.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie has said although Ghana has signed agreements with suppliers for the Sputnik V, none of the consignments have been received and the government has not paid for the vaccines.
Read details of the MoH’s press release:
