SIAKON MEDIA

Disabled groups want to be evacuated from Bawku

The Ghana Society for the Physically Disabled (GSPD) has called on government to, as a matter of urgency, evacuate all people with disabilities (PWDs) from Bawku, since they cannot be fully protected from the conflict.

The group said the move has become necessary because it has lost trust in the security agencies who are supposed to maintain peace in the area.

PWDs suggested that their colleagues in Bawku should be given a home at Bolgatanga where government could cater for them.
Addressing a press conference in Kumasi the National Vice- President of the society, Mr. Yaw Opoku Asamoah alleged that the PWDs in Bawku are denied their share of the common fund on grounds that their share would be used for their protection, however they are not aware of any protective measure being put in place for them.

He recounted that a disabled man Alhaji Abdulai Isah, together with his wheel chair was burnt to ashes at Sabongeri, near the Bawku Central Hospital on January 1, 2008 when his relatives could not help him after their house was burnt among five others.
"In the same circumstances, a well known blind lab technician had his six bedroom apartment razed to the ground by the blazing fire; no compensation for him, we are protecting the life of the rest" he added.

Mr. Opoku Asamoah said it is a shame such dastardly act would be perpetuated against an unarmed disabled man. "Such acts must be condemned by all because the factions in the Bawku conflict are creating fresh disable persons but someone must tell them it's enough.

The press conference was aimed mainly at seeking the support from the media towards the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of persons living with Disabilities. It also sought to sensitize the government, parliament, the general public and other decision makers to facilitate the process towards the ratification.

"It took 14 years for government to pass the Disability Act because disables are supposedly unproductive. Even some DCE's don't like to see the face of disables" he lamented.

Earlier, the National President of the Society, Joseph Adu-Boampong noted that the coming into force of the convention marks an important development in disabled person's pursuit of equality.

He said PWDs are one of the last 'vulnerable' social groups to be given the protection of a specific human rights convention.


Author: Alhaji Bashiru Zakari

BONABOTO not happy with medical director

By Aberinga Milton, Bolgatanga

The Upper East Regional branch of BONABOTO, a non partisan political lobby group from the Frafra traditional areas of Bongo, Nangodi, Bolgatanga and Tongo, has expressed its unhappiness about the way and manner the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital is being managed by the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Aduko Amiah.

Dr. Amiah has been accused variously of being responsible for the deteriorating conditions of the hospital and mass attrition of medical doctors as well as the refusal of newly doctors posted to take up their post.

Speaking to Public Agenda, the secretary to the Upper East Regional Branch of BONABOTO, Mr. Edmond Agorigo, said the complaints against the management and leadership competence of Dr. Amiah are too numerous and coming from all angles that his continued stay at the hospital will not be in the interest of the hospital. The group has thus planned a meeting with the Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to discuss its concerns.

"Dr. Amiah has done his part. He has served the region for the past 27 years. But there comes a time when one has to give way for new ideas and new ways of doing things. It is high time he left," Mr. Agorigo opined.

He described as unfortunate, purported comments made by the National President of BONABOTO, Mr. Mathew Adombire who is based in Accra to the effect that the allegations of mismanagement and incompetence leveled against Dr. Amiah were ill guided and coming from people who bore hatred against him. Mr. Agorigo urged the national president of the body to always liaise with the local chapter before making comments on local issues since he was not on the ground.

When this reporter visited the hospital and had a tour of its facilities it came to light that apart from the new gynaecological ward and the OPD structures that were constructed recently, all the old structures were in deplorable state.

At the Male surgical ward for instance, there were very few louver blades found, while loose electrical cables were seen hanging from damaged sockets and switches.

A staff at the ward said that until the arrival and intervention of the new regional director of medical services, Dr. Kofi Awonor, the hospital had not seen paint for close to ten years.

Meanwhile, very reliable information reaching Public Agenda reveal that since the inception of the NHIS, the hospital has been making monthly receipts of at least GHc270,000.00 as internally generated funds.

Apart from the deplorable state of basic infrastructure, the hospital has for the past ten years continued to suffer mass attrition of medical doctors while many have simply refused to take postings to the hospital all due to non cooperation from Dr. Amiah. A staff of the hospital hinted this paper that this year alone, out of seven junior doctors posted to the Hospital only one accepted his posting.

The one doctor, who accepted his posting to the hospital, has already been released to Accra for reposting because according to reliable information, Dr. Amiah says he is not able to work with him.

It would be recalled that a call was made to the Upper East Regional Council and the Ghana Health Service by the Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health led by the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) to immediately commence investigations into the allegations leveled against Dr. Amiah.

At the time of filing this report, the hospital which is supposedly a referral centre for the region of about 1.5 million, has only three medical doctors. The Bongo District Hospital which is close to Bolga, is being run wholly by a few medical assistants and nurses and the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital which used to be a beacon of hope for the region is now a ghost facility following the sporadic bloody conflict in the town. What this means is that the people of Bolgatanga and for that matter the Upper East Region are being cut off from quality medical service.

Residents are frustrated since authorities that matter on the issue continue to be tight lipped despite several calls for a probe. Some youth who spoke to this paper said that as people from the BONABOTO area they are disappointed in their president and feel betrayed by his prejudiced and entrenched position. They also claimed that it has been difficult to get the powers that be to listen because to the best of their knowledge there is a mafia network in place.

They are however, hopeful that this time round, the new Minister of Health and for that matter, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service will listen and above all, take action immediately to save the people.

Source: Public Agenda

Busua (W/R) Oct. 15, GNA - The Western Regional Health Directorate, has initiated steps to set up a Regional Research Unit to facilitate clinical excellence and provide evidence for critical medical decision- making.

Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Regional Minister, made this known in a speech read on his behalf, on Wednesday, at the opening of the 8th Annual General Conference of the Medical Superintendents' Group (MSG) at Busua.

He said the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital, the major referral centre in the region, was poorly equipped for adequate medical research.

The three-day conference was on the theme: "Research and Medical Practice, Capacity Building in our Hospitals."

Mr Aidoo said inadequate infrastructure and lack of key personnel including pathologists hinder clinical medical research.

"New discoveries and expansion of medical frontiers could only be achieved with a well strategise medical research," he said.

Mr Aidoo said critical areas that needed special attention were the re-emergence of certain tropical diseases such as yaws, filariasis, which abound in the Ahanta West District and guinea worm.

He also listed the high disease burden of malaria, HIV/AIDS, hypertension, diabetes, soaring maternal and infant mortality and morbidity as well as health care financing improvement options and high technology development as other areas of focus.

Mr Aidoo urged the conference to examine the issue of ethics, which relates to patients privacy and consent in medical research.

Dr George Acquaye, President of MSG, said there was the need for the expansion of the country's health facilities, to avoid over crowding of patients.

He said there was the need to regularly replace equipment at the facilities to increase efficiency and to motivate health workers to attend to patients.

Dr Acquaye spoke of the delay in reimbursing health facilities under the National Health Service Insurance Scheme.

He asked members of the group to publish their research works in the Ghana Medical Journal and other medium and also read other study findings.

Dr Linda Vanotoo, a medical superintendent said health delivery in the region had to change because of the discovery of oil and asked the conference to consider the issue.

She noted that organisational barriers and lack of requisite number of personnel and technical know-how at the medical centres could be overcome when the officials use guidelines that are developed by experts or availing themselves of competency based training and putting in structures that would help them to use results obtained from research.

GNA