INADEQUATE HEALTH PERSONNEL IN UE WORRYING (D/G Saturday, September 13, 2008. PAGE 22)

THE inadequacy of health personnel in the Upper East Region is becoming increasingly alarming, the Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John K. Awoonor-Williams, has observed.
Presently, the doctor patient-ratio stands as one doctor to 29,000 patients as against the national ratio of one doctor to 13,000 patients, while in the case of nurses, the ratio is one nurse to 1,243 patients.
At the 22nd annual general conference of the Public Health Nurses Group (PHNG) at Bolgatanga, Dr Awoonor-Williams said the region was not only beset with poor doctor-patient ratio, but it also faced the gloomy prospect of most of the health staff posted to the region declining the offer.
“Out of 11 doctors posted to the region over the last four years, only one reported,” he said, adding that that was a very sad situation.
“There are more doctors at the Ridge Hospital in Accra than the total number of doctors put together in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. The same can be said of nurses and other categories of staff,” Dr Awoonor-Williams stated.
According to him, currently the region had a total of 842 nurses of all categories deployed in 166 health facilities constituting an average of five nurses per facility.
He described the situation as a very serious setback to accessible health care in the region and a major setback in achieving the millennium development goal targets, if the current ratio was not addressed immediately by the government.
Dr Awoonor-Williams, said despite the challenges, the region had the highest number of baby-friendly facilities. According to him, out of 237 facilities countrywide, 51 of them, representing 22 per cent, were in the region, an indication of the quality of service in the region.
While bemoaning the poor staff strength of health practitioners in the region, the regional director noted that one major problem within the health sector was poor staff attitude and poor customer care, which had brought the corporate image of the service into disrepute.
He, therefore, called on nurses to change their attitude towards patients “as that bad attitude drives away many patients from the public health facilities”.
Dr Awoonor-Williams also called on nurses in leadership positions to mentor the young ones that passed through their hands to give their best to patients, adding, “We must commit ourselves to the service of our clients and improve on supervision at all levels.”
Touching on the theme for the conference: “Promoting community involvement in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, the role of the public health nurse,” Dr Awoonor-Williams said the death of a pregnant woman was totally unacceptable.
He, therefore, charged the practitioners to do whatever they could as health providers to curtail the problem.
“Maternal mortality is not only a health issue, but also has both economic and social ramifications. We must, therefore, rededicate ourselves to ensure that we save our mothers from unnecessary deaths,” he stressed.
The Chairperson of the PHNG, Ms Beatrice Appah, said globally, 585,000 women died every year due to complications that arose from pregnancy and child birth, adding that 579,150 deaths, representing 99 per cent occurred in developing countries such as Ghana.
She, therefore, called for the involvement of the community as one of the cheapest but effective methods of averting the situation.
The Director in charge of Public Health of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Joseph Amankwa, noted that the death of a pregnant woman did not only mean two deaths at the same time, but also a loss of family physician and bread winner, adding that it was also a recipe for breakdown of social cohesion and development.
He proposed the establishment of a Presidential Commission on Maternal Health to strongly re-position and give maternal health the recognition it deserved
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, admonished all health personnel to be good ambassadors of the National Health Insurance Scheme and the government’s free maternal health care policy to help reach the Millennium Development Goals four and five.

SHORTCOMINGS OF POLICE OFFICERS WON'T BE TOLERATED (D/G Saturday, September 13, 2008. PAGE 23)

THE Police Administration has warned that it would not tolerate any shortcomings by police officers that would tarnish the good image of the service.
The former Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, who is now in charge of the Northern Region with oversight responsibilities for the Upper East and West regions, gave the warning when reviewing a passing-out parade of 133 police recruits at Pwalugu.
"We live in a world of mass indiscipline and the society expects us to have strength, skills, experience and courage to deal with this menace in our protection of life and property, prevention of lawlessness and apprehension of those who break the law, no matter how desperate and dangerous the criminal or situation may be," he stressed.
The recruits underwent six months training at the Pwalugu Police Training School where they studied criminal investigation, criminal law, law of evidence, professional police ethics, English language and report writing.
Mr Gyeabour told the recruits that much was expected of them as there was a lot of work and challenges for the police, stressing that they should be ready for all kinds of emergencies and carry out their duties strictly and within the law.
He noted that the service was a challenging one, with many temptations and public criticisms and as such, the recruits needed to stand firm and be honest in their decisions and judgement of situations that would confront them from time to time.
"You must win and sustain public confidence, which is vital to policing and intelligence gathering that cannot be achieved easily. You are passing out in an election year and your ability to make right
judgement devoid of bias and favouritism to any political party would help to enhance the image of the service and give credence to your level of professionalism," he cautioned.
DCOP Gyeabour commended the Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region for assisting the Police Administration in addressing the acute accommodation problems facing the police in the region, stressing that it was a demonstration that the welfare of the police personnel was of
great concern to the good people of the region.
Three recruits were awarded for their hard work. General Recruit James Owusu Sarpong was adjudged the overall best recruit while Justina Quansah stood out in academics with the best in drill award going to Daniel Akakpo.

2 CABLE THIEVES JAILED 14 YEARS (D/G Saturday, September 13, 2008. PAGE 23)

THE Police Administration has warned that it would not tolerate any shortcomings by police officers that would tarnish the good image of the service.
The former Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, who is now in charge of the Northern Region with oversight responsibilities for the Upper East and West regions, gave the warning when reviewing a passing-out parade of 133 police recruits at Pwalugu.
"We live in a world of mass indiscipline and the society expects us to have strength, skills, experience and courage to deal with this menace in our protection of life and property, prevention of lawlessness and apprehension of those who break the law, no matter how desperate and dangerous the criminal or situation may be," he stressed.
The recruits underwent six months training at the Pwalugu Police Training School where they studied criminal investigation, criminal law, law of evidence, professional police ethics, English language and report writing.
Mr Gyeabour told the recruits that much was expected of them as there was a lot of work and challenges for the police, stressing that they should be ready for all kinds of emergencies and carry out their duties strictly and within the law.
He noted that the service was a challenging one, with many temptations and public criticisms and as such, the recruits needed to stand firm and be honest in their decisions and judgement of situations that would confront them from time to time.
"You must win and sustain public confidence, which is vital to policing and intelligence gathering that cannot be achieved easily. You are passing out in an election year and your ability to make right
judgement devoid of bias and favouritism to any political party would help to enhance the image of the service and give credence to your level of professionalism," he cautioned.
DCOP Gyeabour commended the Municipal and District Assemblies in the Upper East Region for assisting the Police Administration in addressing the acute accommodation problems facing the police in the region, stressing that it was a demonstration that the welfare of the police personnel was of
great concern to the good people of the region.
Three recruits were awarded for their hard work. General Recruit James Owusu Sarpong was adjudged the overall best recruit while Justina Quansah stood out in academics with the best in drill award going to Daniel Akakpo.

SCHOOL DESKS ABANDONED AT ZEBILLA (D/G Wednesday September 10, 2008. PAGE 21)

A NUMBER of dual desks meant for distribution to schools in some communities in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region have been left at the mercy of the weather at Zebilla.
Some of the pieces of the furniture have even started deteriorating.
According to the District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Desmond Bugbilla, the desks were provided by the government for distribution to the schools but due to the devastating effect of last year's floods, some communities in the district had been cut off from the district capital as portions of the road had been rendered unmotorable.
The situation has hampered the easy transportation of the duel desks as, well as some electric poles meant for electrification of some communities.
Mr Bugbilla made this known when a Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment, Alhaji Ahmed Awudu Yirimeah, visited the area to assess progress of work on feeder roads under reconstruction after the last year's floods.
The reconstruction works being undertaken throughout the region under the Northern Floods Reconstruction Programme (NFRP) are being financed mostly by donor agencies such as the International Development Association and Agence Française De Development and the World Bank.
Mr Bugbilla said work on the road projects under the NFRP in the district was progressing at a slow pace and he blamed part of the problem on contractors, who, he said, had always cited lack of funds as an excuse for their inability to complete the various projects on time.
Responding to the concerns raised by the DCE, Alhaji Yirimeah dismissed the alleged assertion by the contractors and said "as far as the NFRP was concerned, there is money for the payment to any contractor that completes any project".
He urged the contractors to stop blaming the government for non-payment, but must move to the site and work towards the early completion of their projects.
During an inspection tour of the Kukurizua–Widnaba feeder road, it was observed that inadequate culverts on the Road to contain large volumes of water had led to the washing away of portions of the road.
Under the NFRP, four feeder roads in the Bawku West District were selected for spot improvement. They are the Kubore-Sapeliga, Kukuzua–Widnaba, Zebilla-Zabre and Zebilla-Teshie-Googo feeder roads.
The deputy minister later interacted with the chiefs of Sapeliga and Konkonsa to brief them about the numerous interventions put in place by the government and solicited their support to enable the government to retain power.

POLITICIANS MUST PROMOTE PEACE (MIRROR, Saturday September 6, 2008 PAGE 42)

By Benjamin Xornam Glover,
Bolgatanga

Pastor Mike Ayikade of the Fountain Gate Chapel in Bolgatanga has called on all political parties seeking mandate of Ghanaians in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections to remain committed to the peace and security of the country.
He also reminded politicians of the status of Ghana as a peaceful nation and, therefore, enjoined them to maintain that status quo in order not to compromise the peace and stability of the country.
Pastor Ayikade gave the admonition when the vice-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, joined the congregation in worship at Bolgatanga as part of his tour of the Upper East Region.
Dr Bawumia was accompanied by his wife, Samira; the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Boniface Abubakar Saddique; the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, and his deputy, Mrs Agnes Chigabatia.
Others included Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, the Campaign Director, and Alhaji Karim Grunsah, a Football Administrator and leading member of the NPP.
According to Pastor Ayikade, politicians must conduct their political activities in a manner that would not degenerate into violence and ensure that love permeated their every action.
“The people of Ghana in general and the Upper East Region in particular are resolved to pursue peace before, during and after the December elections and those who seek our mandate to rule must also pursue peace and purge this country of acts that will lead to conflict,” he stressed.
Responding, Dr Bawumia described his selection as a divine intervention, stressing that within 48 hours he had been elevated from being a banker to a politician with the potential of becoming the Vice-President of Ghana, which is something, he had never expected.
He urged the congregation to pray for him and phrased his statement with a quote from the scriptures that said “unless the Lord builds a house, those who build labour in vain”.
Dr Bawumia said his selection was a call to service towards the development of the nation and, therefore, urged all to join him pray to God for guidance and wisdom.
Earlier, the vice-presidential candidate and his entourage had joined members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bolgatanga to celebrate mass. He also paid courtesy calls on the Regional Chief Imam in his mosque and addressed members of the Ahlu Sunna Muslim sect, also in Bolgatanga to solicit their support.
At a meeting with members of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Dr Bawumia said victory for Nana Akufo-Addo would fulfil the age-long dream of some northern patriots towards bridging the gap between the north and the south.
He said prior to Ghana’s independence, some elders of northern Ghana such as Mr C.K. Tedam, Adam Amandi, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumiah, (his late father), S.D. Dombo, Dr Hilla Limann, Jato Kaleo, among others, have dreamt of a marshal plan that would bridge the development gap between the north and the south of the country.
According to him, unfortunately, that dream was not achieved and it was this dream that the NPP candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, had resurrected through the Northern Development Authority.
He pledged the commitment of the NPP government to fast track the rapid development of the north to fulfil the age-old dream of their fore bears through improved methods of agriculture, education and access to finance.
The Paramount Chief of Kayoro, Oscar Batabi Tiamo, on behalf of 17 paramount chiefs and 52 divisional chiefs of the house, urged politicians to see themselves as components of development.
Pe Tiamo, while reminding politicians of Ghana’s enviable record as a nation of peace, called on them to eschew acts that could destabilise the country. He also pledged the support of the house to whoever would emerge winner in the December elections.

AID FILM PREMIERS IN BOLGA (Graphic SHOWBIZ, Thursday September 4, 2008 PAGE 9)

By Benjamin Xornam Glover

A 40-minute documentary film about foreign aid in Africa and its impact on the people, titled How To Make a Difference in Africa has been unveiled at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The documentary highlights the positive gains made by Afrikids Ghana, a grassroot child rights organisation which works alongside indigenous communities to improve the quality of life for rejected and vulnerable children. It also examines how the ‘bottom up’ approach can transform the impact of aid and make it truly sustainable.
The film was produced by Sorious Samura, an award-winning Sierra Leonean journalist best known for documentaries foe CNN such as Cry Freetown (2000) and Exodus from Africa (2001).
Samura’s approach has sometimes been controversial and his methods extreme, but his reputation for the unflinching pursuit of truth regardless of its inconvenience has earned him respect across Africa and throughout the world.
How effective are foreign-based charities in Africa? Is there an alternative to the top-down approach which has dominated the aid industry for decades? These were the questions Samura and and his company, Storyhouse Films, spent a month searching answers for by looking at the operations of an organization called AfriKids in Ghana .
AfriKids is a child rights organisation, which works alongside indigenous communities in Ghana to improve quality of life for rejected and vulnerable children.
The national premiere of the film was held in Bolgatanga, the national headquarters of the NGO, came after the international one on June 19 in London. It was estimated that over 300 people descended on Westbourne Studios for the London screening.
The National Director of Afrikids Ghana, Mr. Nicholas K. Kumah told the audience at the of the premiere, mostly journalists, that after watching a documentary on Kenya which exposed corruption in that country, his organisation challenged the producers of that film to come to Ghana to see the positive work being done here.
“We thought that as an organisation working in Africa and relying mostly on donors abroad, any documentary that seeks to tell outsiders that Africans are corrupt has a very serious repercussion on our work”
He said for that matter, Afrikids challenged the producers of the documentary to look at the positive sides of Africa by offering their NGO up for to scrutiny.
According to Mr. Kumah, Insight TV came to Ghana to review the activities of Afrikids at the end of which they were surprised at what positive things are being done by the NGO which is committed to ensuring that all children in northern Ghana are afforded their basic rights.
According to Sorious Samura, Afrikids is one of the few charities which manage to positively demonstrate how foreign aid works for Africa.
The documentary is expected to be broadcast soon on one of the nation’s television networks.

COUPLE DROWN IN FLOOD WATERS (D/G Tuesday September 2, 2008 BACK PAGE)

TWO persons are reported drowned in flood waters at Buuri in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.
The couple, Akuka Ayeebo, 50, and his wife, Awimbora Akuka, 45, together with their child were said to have crossed the Buuri section of the White Volta in a canoe to the Nafkoliga side to tend to their crops and on their return, were swept away by the flood.
Their canoe was said to have hit a tree and sank. Eyewitnesses said the child was rescued but the couple drowned and their bodies had still not been found.
The Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Mr John Ndebugre, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said all efforts were being made to find them.
He appealed to all persons living on the banks of the White Volta from Sapalliga to Pwalugu in the Talensi-Nabdam District to exercise great caution in the conduct of their daily affairs such as farming and other trading activities in order to avert any further calamities.
“The rains are likely to be heavy between now and the middle of September and that, combined with the spilling of water from the Bagre Dam, can pose a real danger to people living within the catchment area of the White Volta River,” he said.
Mr Ndebugre said even though the spillage was being managed by the authorities of the Bagre Dam in such a way that its effects on the people living down stream of the White Volta were minimised, caution must be taken to avert any more loss of lives.
The District Chief Executive for Bawku West and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee, Mr Desmond Bugbilla, when contacted confirmed the incident and added his voice to the call on all citizens to assist in finding the bodies of the couple.
He also urged the citizens to heed calls to relocate to higher and safer grounds and refrain from taking the risk to cross the river to avert similar incidents.