The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) in collaboration with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has marked the maiden edition of the 'World Patient Safety Week' in Cape Coast.

The five-day celebration, commenced, with sensitisation tours to Health facilities, community pharmacies and a grand inauguration of the Pharmacovigilance Centre at CCTH.

It was aimed at sensitizing healthcare providers on the need to be actively involved in the science relating to prompt detection, assessment, understanding, preventing and reporting of adverse drug reactions and other medicine-related issues (Pharmacovigilance).

The celebration which was on the theme: "Patient safety: The role of Pharmacovigilance," brought together scores of key players and stakeholders in the use, dispensing and trade in drugs.

Addressing participants at a ceremony to commemorate the event, Mrs Yvonne Yirenkyiwaa Esseku, Rector, Ghana College of Pharmacists, said many healthcare providers try as much as not to harm patients.

Reiterating the essence of Pharmacovigilance, Mrs Esseku said it was the way to protect patients from unnecessary and preventable harm while ensuring public confidence in the health care delivery system.

In this regard, she praised the Hospital for recording a study growth in the reporting of adverse drug effects based on trend analysis.

"This is encouraging. From January to August this year, the Hospital has contributed 16.9 percent of reports received in the region. It is believed that with the establishment of the Centre, more reports would be churned out," she noted.

According to her, the World Health Organization had estimated that about 810 women die daily through preventable pregnancy and childbirth-related causes, whilst approximately 6,700 new deaths were recorded daily.

It was also estimated that over 40 percent of approximately two million stillborn babies occur during labour, hence, the commissioned Pharmacovigilance Centre had come at an opportune time as the nation deployed quantities of COVID-19.

She, however, proposed that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) included haemovigilance in the activities of the centre as blood has become an essential medicine.

Dr Eric Kofi Ngyedu, the Chief Executive Officer of CCTH, said the essence of Pharmacovigilance was imperative because not all adverse effects of medicines were detected during the clinical trial process before drug registration.

He announced that approximately five per cent of all hospital admissions were as a result of adverse drug effects and around 10-20 per cent of in-patients will have at least one adverse drug reaction during their hospital stay.

He reminded the public on the need to recommit ourselves to Pharmacovigilance in facilities across the Region through the coordination role of the Centre.