Vice President of the PSG, Yvonne Esseku, made the plea when the executives of the society called on the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House, in Accra, on Tuesday.

They were there to formally invite him to the Society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on from July 31 to August 4, in Ho, Votla Region. This would be held under the theme “Building capacity to lead change in healthcare”.

She informed the President that although government had taken steps to get the conditions of service for pharmacists working in government hospitals signed, it was yet to be implemented.

The Society applauded the government for its policies, which it said were helping to grow the pharmaceutical sector. It noted that the restrictions on the importation of certain types of pharmaceutical products would enable indigenous pharmaceutical companies to increase their production and export their products to foreign markets, especially on the continent.

These measures form part of plans by the government to support the sector to grow, create jobs, and help improve the country's balance of payment. Mr Ernest Sampong, President of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Union of Ghana, said stakeholders in the sector were ready to assist the government to improve the macro-economic fundamentals by creating jobs, increasing exports, and reducing the demand for foreign currencies.

He expressed optimism that “healthcare as we have it now will and should be different, better and more efficient and accessible in the coming years” Mr Appiahgye said the Society was eager to start the process of building the necessary capacities and leadership mind-set that would enable the industry better deliver a world class healthcare service to the people of Ghana.

The PSG, in recognition of the Presidents’ contributions to the growth and development of the pharmaceutical industry, would confer on him, the Honorary Fellowship Award - the highest award of the society for none pharmacists at the Ho AGM.President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the critical importance of the pharmaceutical sector and its impact on heath delivery and contribution to Ghana’s economy.

He said government would support the industry to grow and expand beyond Ghana, saying, “We believe that there are major opportunities for a well-motivated pharmaceutical sector in Ghana to go out there and conquer the world”. The President also assured the group that the he would ensure the implementation of the conditions of service for pharmacists, and promised that the issue of the Board for the Ghana College of Pharmacist, an institution established by law to train post graduate pharmacists in the country, would be treated with urgency.