President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG), Samuel Kow Donkoh, has expressed concerns about the possible effects of galamsey, or illegal mining, on the pharmaceutical sector in the country.
He issued a warning, saying that the government might soon have to import water to manufacture drugs due to galamsey’s poisoning of water sources.
Read Also: Farmers Association reveal shocking number of cocoa farms destroyed by Galamsey
“The activities of illegal mining have devastated our water bodies, making it expensive for pharmaceutical companies to treat water for production purposes. If the state of the environment doesn’t improve, our local manufacturing sector would soon need to import water,” Mr. Donkoh said, underscoring the crucial significance that clean water plays in the production of pharmaceuticals during the PSG’s Annual General Meeting.
He also emphasised that the availability of high-quality water is necessary for the development of important pharmaceuticals.
“We cannot afford to compromise on the quality of our drugs. The health and wellbeing of our citizens depend on it.”
The PSG brought attention to the persistent scarcity of chemists in the public sector, citing the government’s recruitment freeze as the cause, in addition to environmental concerns.
The battle against galamsey has rekindled tensions between the populace and the government as Ghana faces economic difficulties.
With the natural resources of the country in jeopardy and living expenses rising, demonstrators are calling for immediate action to save water bodies and bring environmental stability back.
