From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor.

As part of activities marking the annual 21 days Y’ello Care, Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN), Ghana, has presented 300 made in Ghana school bags to some selected schools in the East Akyem Municipality. Staff of MTN annually take 21 days off their busy working period to participate in various community programmes dubbed “Y’ello Care”, which is aimed at giving back to society.

In the Eastern Region, the staff decided to observe the day with children of Akyem Asafo Presbyterian, Methodist and Roman Catholic Primary schools, all in the East Akyem Municipality. In all, 300 school children, who are arguably disadvantaged, and were selected from Class One to Six of the three schools, received a made in Ghana bag each at a separate ceremony.

Presenting the bags to the pupils, Mr. Isaac Antwi, leader of the Eastern regional team, said the company settled on the made in Ghana bags, in an attempt to drum home and whip up interest on the need for Ghanaians to patronise locally produced goods. He charged the children to use the bags as a point of positive change towards taking a keen interest in goods produced locally, since that was the only sure way to improve the socio-economic conditions of Ghanaians.

Mr. Antwi further tasked the children to emulate the good examples of the elderly people in their environments, and cultivate the habit of spearheading the development of their communities. The leader of the Eastern Regional Office of MTN finally urged the children to take their studies serious if they wanted to occupy very important positions, not only in their communities, but life in general.

Speaking to the Eastern File shortly after the presentation, Fusina Aliu, a Class Six pupil of the Roman Catholic Primary School, paid glowing tribute to the development role MTN is playing towards creating an enabling society for all. According to her, MTN, over the years, has contributed towards the development of the nation through the construction of school buildings, hospitals, and clinics among others, which makes the company the best in the area of corporate social responsibility.

To her, the bag, no matter its condition, has come at the right time, since most of them come to school carrying their books in their hands and on their heads, because they did not have bags to keep them in. She explained that most of their books, which took their parents months to buy, suffer damage particularly during the rainy season. An Assistant Headmaster of the Roman Catholic Primary School, Mr. Amarteype Jonas, disclosed that the bags would go a long way to motivate their children to learn hard, since most of them come to school without bags.

He raised serious concerns over the irresponsible attitudes of some parents in the area, and took opportunity of the occasion to urge parents not to shirk their duties of providing a good foundation for their children. The Assistant Headmaster appealed to MTN to come back to rescue them with a decent school building, since the children do not have sound and serene environments to learn, because of the state of the infrastructure.   Mr. Antwi assured the management of the school of passing the information on to his superior officers for consideration.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Atiwa East Constituency in the Atiwa District, Abena Osei Asare, has expressed grave concern over the rate of pregnancies recorded in the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in the region.

In all, 30 pregnancies were recorded in five districts, which are Atiwa, Lower Manya, Kwahu South, Ayesuano and Birem North and South, recording 12, 8, 3, 5, and 1 in that order, with a certain 16-year-old girl of the Akyem Apiredi Junior High School (JHS) in the Birim South District, giving birth to a bouncing baby boy whilst writing her exam.

The tally was part of 41,522 candidates, comprising of 22,312 boys and 19,320 girls, who sat for the examinations at the various 154 centres, with 164 invigilators across the Eastern Region. Speaking to the file in an exclusive interview, the Atiwa East MP reiterated that the country would pay dearly in the near future if an antidote was not found for this cancer that is gaining momentum every year.

She has, therefore, called on the government and other key stakeholders to brainstorm on the way forward, in an effort to address the concerns associated with this canker. Even though she was not sure of the factors, she attributed the worrying situation to economic conditions compelling the young girls to indulge in sexual activities, so end up being impregnated.

To set the pace, Abena Asare said she is going to embark on a project dubbed “Save Your Girl Child’s Future” to encourage parents and their children in the constituency on the need to take their destinies into their hands. She explained that the programme would be in partnership with other non-governmental organisations that have the development of the girl child at heart, to organise various fora and seminars on sex education.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the Barekese Senior High School at Barekese in the Atwima Nwabiagya District has provided an 18-unit three-storey classroom block for the school.

The Headmaster, Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Asiedu, said that the block had come as a great relief to the school to ease congestion, which had become a big disincentive to effective teaching and learning for both teachers and students. Mr. Asiedu further indicated that even though the project cost the school a fortune, the end results are worth it.

The Headmaster pointed out several other projects which had been initiated within the two years of his administration. These include the completion and equipping of a science laboratory, construction of phase one of an 8-unit Home Science block with two practice rooms and offices, and construction of a market complex with a library, sick bay, and offices, which is expected to be completed within the next two years.

Mr. Asiedu added that apart from these physical developments, the school can now boast of a Board of Governors, and Cadet Corps.  He disclosed that all these were initiated by the PTA, and supported with the scanty internally generated funds. Mr. Aseidu noted that in spite of these success stories the school still faces numerous challenges, and revealed that only ten  out of the 138 teaching staff live on campus, due to lack of staff accommodation.

According to him, he, as headmaster, also commutes over 20 kilometres, to and from school daily, and called on the government to come to the aid of the school. While commending the staff and the PTA for their cooperation and support, the Headmaster regretted that the government was yet to initiate any projects for the school, since it adopted it in 2006.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

The Jasboa Group of Companies has constructed a bridge, estimated to cost GH¢70,000, to the relief of residents of Offinso, Aboaso, and surrounding communities.

The bridge, when completed, will link towns like Kokote, Ampabame, Amoasu, Dome, and other communities in the Offinso South District.

It will also save the residents of Aboaso from erosion by the uncontrolled flow of water that washes the away top soil and creates a crater in the waterway making both human and vehicular movement from Kokote, Ayensu, and other towns difficult.

The Chief Executive Officer of Jasboa Ventures, Mr. James Kofi Boamah, a native of Offinso, indicated that the project, which comes as a corporate social responsibility, is being funded by the Jasboa international Foundation, an offshoot of the Jasbao firm.

He noted that erosion was negatively affecting transportation in the area, and so he decided to help the people, hence the construction of the bridge, which is currently, 70 percent complete.  Mr. Boamah has also constructed a mechanised borehole for the people of Aboaso.

The Chief Imam of the Aboaso Muslim community, Alhaji Sulemana, also told the Ashanti File that Mr. Boamah had also funded the tiling of the local mosque. The Imam asked Allah’s blessing for Mr. Boamah and his family for rendering such support to the Muslim community.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Offinso South, Amankwah Kesse, lauded Jasboa for the relief the project had brought to the people, and urged other citizens to emulate the shining example of Jasboa Ventures.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

Four communities in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality are to benefit from the Urban Development Grant (UDG) funded projects. The beneficiary communities are Juaben, Dumakwai, Adumasa, and Ejisu Zongo.

The projects include 3-Unit 14-seater water closet toilets with two disability-friendly facilities, as well as mechanised boreholes with poly tanks for Dumakwai, Adumasa and Ejisu Zongo, each of which projects will cost the assembly about GH¢6,700.

The other project is the construction of a modern standard emergency ward and accident unit for the Juaben Government Hospital at the cost of GH¢7,600.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Kwaku Afrifa Yamoah Ponko, assured the people at separate sod-cutting ceremonies for the projects, that each would be completed and handed over in a little over a month.

He maintained that his office and the government would continue to provide citizens in the municipality with the needed social amenities and infrastructure, in spite of the economic challenges.

From Ishaque Agyei.

The Nyeyi Festival, which is celebrated annually by the chiefs and people of Komenda in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem District (KEEA), was launched on Monday.

The six-day programme of activities would start from September 6 to 11, 2014, and would be on the theme “Ensuring Sustainable Development through Education.”

Launching the festival, the Omanhen of the Komenda Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Kru II, was of the hope that Nyeyi Festival would bring unity among the people, and advised them to accept the spirit of volunteerism and communal labour, in order to improve sanitation in Komenda and its environs.

He stressed on the Traditional Council’s commitment to ensuring a sound and peaceful Nyeyi celebration, adding that the chiefs and people of Komenda, with one accord, could help the development of the area.

Nana Kru II regretted their inability to celebrate the festival in previous years due to numerous reasons beyond the control of both the Traditional Council and the people, but promised that this year’s would be a stepping stone for many others to follow.

He advised parents to invest in their children’s education, since that was the best legacy they could leave them in the near future, and eschew spending money on unnecessary items.

In a speech read for him, the Central Regional Director of Education, Mr. Jacob Kor, advised that taking proper care of their wards in school should be a priority for all parents and guardians, since they are the future leaders.

He stressed on the need for parents to take a keen interest in their children’s education by paying their school fees, and providing them with basic needs such as uniforms, exercise books, and textbooks, as well as monitoring them during vacations.

Mr. Kor also revealed that the laws of the Ghana Education Service (GES) does not allow a student to be sacked from school when that child’s parents owe school fees, and for that matter, there should be no excuse for a child to be in the house due to unpaid school fees.

The Nyeyi Festival is celebrated in honour of departed heroes and heroines for their great contribution to the various traditional areas in Komenda, and is also the time to strengthen the bond between the people and their ancestors, in order to avoid any misfortunes in the coming year.

Several activities such as clean-up exercises, canoe racing, football competition, inter schools quiz competition, cooking competition, and many others have been lined-up to mark the celebration.

From Richard Attenkah.

The Tema regional office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has invested a whopping US$58 million to improve upon the irregular flow of power to its numerous customers scattered across the length and breadth of the region.

US$26 million out the US$58 million was used for the construction and upgrading of primary stations, US$20 million was also used to change the lines at the various sub-station, US$2 million used to change the primary distribution lines, and US$10 million to improve upon low voltage areas.

This was disclosed by Ing. Mark Asomani-Wiafe, Tema Regional Engineer of the ECG, when he conducted a section of the Tema media round the company’s newly commissioned primary sub-stations and upgraded ones within the Tema Metropolitan area.

Addressing the media, Mr. Asomani-Wiafe noted that the main purpose of the investment was to ensure that customers of the company enjoyed improved and more reliable services, but because of what has now become the “dum so, dum so” saga, residents of Tema don’t seem to experience the new ECG.

According to him, the company was formerly using underground cables to transmit power from its primary sub-stations to the homes of its customers, but they discovered that it was not reliable, due to factors which include high cost of repairs when there are faults among others.

He explained that now the company had switched to the use of overhead cables, because they are more reliable, less expensive, and easy to detect the faults as they develop and to fix them. The overhead cables have their advantages and disadvantages. One of the main advantages is that when there is a fault, “anyone of our technical men can just stand there and see it.”

“But it is not the same with the underground cables, because if there is a fault, you will have to employ the services of a cable test van. Once the van is ready, you have to do a test on the cable at a higher voltage, which weakens the cable in its own way, before it will show you the actual place where the fault is,” he explained.

Mr. Asomani-Wiafe continued that after they have discovered the fault, they have to dig the ground or excavate it before they could get the cable and fix it. He explained further that with the overhead cables, you will see the fault and go up there to mend it, meaning that the duration to repair faults is faster than that of the underground ones.

“The negative is that, because it is overhead, it is prone to all sort of weather conditions; the wind, rain, birds, someone can even throw something on it and bridge the wire, and it will go off,” he noted, adding “with the underground cables, we don’t have such problems.”

From Richard Attenkah.

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Netherlands government for the establishment of a Port Training Institute (PTI) to impart practical knowledge into personnel who will handle the day-to-day activities of our ports.

Mr. Richard Anamoo, Director General of the GPHA, signed for his outfit, while Ms. Lilliane Ploumen, Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, signed on behalf of the Netherlands government. Some members of the Port Development Partnership (PDP), including Shipping and Transport College (STC)-BV, Deltares, and UNESCO –IHE have expressed interest to support the institute.

The GPHA also entered into long term cooperation with the Netherlands government, to ensure continuous knowledge exchange as the basis for the inclusive development for the West Africa maritime and transport sectors. Prior to the signing of the MoU, a seminar was organised between the GPHA and PDP Africa-Netherlands on sustainable port development, to highlight its importance and kick start the knowledge exchange for the inclusive development of the maritime and transport sectors of the country.

The seminar brought together dignitaries such as Mr. Hans Docter, Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Ms Lilliane Ploumen, Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Mr. Sander Wubbolt, Chairman of the Shipping and Transport College (STC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, GPHA Board Chairman, Mr. Richard Anamoo, GPHA Director-General, and a delegation of businessmen from the Netherlands.

The Dutch Ambassador expressed his gratitude for the great cooperation that has existed between the two countries all these years, and which has given birth to even stronger ties to share and impart knowledge in the ports and harbours sector.
Speaking at the seminar, the Dutch Foreign Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation said the port of Amsterdam and Rotterdam were of crucial importance to the national economy of the Netherlands, as the ports of Tema and

Takoradi to Ghana, therefore, there was the need for collaboration between the two countries. On his part, the Director General of GPHA, on behalf of the whole maritime community of Ghana, was also grateful to the delegation of the Netherlands government for taking time off their busy schedules to come and share their expertise in port management with players in the Ghanaian maritime and ports sectors.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) has organised training for herbal medicine practitioners, drawn from the Greater Accra, Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions.

Dr. Kofi Annan, Head of Herbal Medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), disclosed that the training, under COTVET’s Skills Development Fund, was to enhance quality herbal product manufacturing entrepreneurship for improved productivity and competitiveness.

He said 10 accredited herbalists were selected from each of the three regions for the training. According to him, the continuous training of the practitioners was crucial, because most of them, after learning the practice through apprenticeship, did not upgrade their knowledge.

Dr.  Kwame Dwamena, Chief Executive Officer of the Nkawkaw-based multiple award winner, Dwamena Herbal Center, a beneficiary of the training, outlined the areas of training to include cultivation, propagation, storage and conservation of herbal medicines, as well as the adverse and toxic reactions of such medicines.

He called on the government to help accredit the herbal hospitals with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for more patronage. Dr. Dwamena said even though the government had started collaborating with about 19 herbal centers in some hospitals in Ghana, there was the need to do more to close the vast gap between herbal and orthodox medicine.

The renowned herbalist indicated that following a series of training programmes, there had been marked improvement in the manufacturing, storage and dispensation of herbal medicines, resulting in tremendous changes.

He said, until recently, herbal medicine was not stored in bottles and other containers, and called on colleague practitioners to diagnose patients before prescribing drugs.

From Sebastian R. Freiku.

The various directorates of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital have been directed to adopt Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) for the effective implementation of policies and regulations in the running of the facility.

The new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Isaiah Ofe-Gyimah, said the adoption of SOPs was important for effective operations and implementation of policies. Mr. Ofe-Gyimah told a meeting of journalists in Kumasi that his administration would review monitoring tools to assess staff performance for the benefit of clients.

He said there was the need to motivate staff, by which they would motivate subordinates to give off their best. According to him, the administration would encourage full customer care for staff, and take good care of staff to be in a good frame of mind to discharge their duties to ensure quality healthcare delivery.

These measures, he said, were to address operational challenges facing the facility currently, and towards the restoration of its dented public image. He mentioned congestion at the maternity wards as a major challenge to the facility, and called for completion of the 1,000-bed capacity Maternity and Children’s Block, disclosing that about US$100 million would be needed to complete the project, which was started some 40 years ago.

The KATH CEO said the completion of the project had so much potential that its present state was distressful, pointing out that congestion had fuelled maternal and neo-natal deaths at the facility.Mr. Ofe-Gyimah further disclosed that the labour ward had eight delivery beds to take care of the 30 births per day, which, he said, did not befit the status of a referral facility which also doubled as a teaching hospital, a tertiary health facility, and a primary health care centre.

He said that the management had acquired two refrigerators to store stillbirths at the Labour Ward and Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). The CEO appealed to the authorities to give the completion of the maternity block priority, adding that KATH was an important health facility to leave to go down the drain. He said Ashanti is the most populous region, yet it was the least endowed in terms of health facilities, and that as the only region without a regional hospital, the burden had been on KATH, even though healthcare is not exclusive to it.

From Ernest Best Anane.

Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Ashanti Regional Minister, has inaugurated an eight-member committee to regulate and streamline the activities of illegal mining in the region.

The eight-member committee would be chaired by the incoming Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Joseph Yammin.

Membership of the committee comprises the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, Commander of 4BN, Major CT Broni, and representatives from the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, with the Chief Director at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Kofi Dwomoh Asubonteng, as Secretary.

The committee is expected to conduct periodic inspections on all small scale mining sites, in order to take pre-emptive actions needed to stop illegal mining in the region.

According to a press release, signed by Clement C. Kegeri, Public Relations Officer of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the committee has also been mandated to scrutinise mining licenses and any relevant documents on mining concessions, to ascertain the rules of engagement agreed upon by the authorities and small scale firms.

Outlining the scope of operations for the committee, the Minister said the committee has no fixed time line, and is mandated to confiscate equipment and vehicles used in illegal mining activities. The committee can also arrest and prosecute illegal miners to serve as a deterrent to potential illegal miners.

The Minister has, therefore, called on all small scale miners in the region to present their licenses to the committee for inspection, and further action. He urged the committee to live up to expectation, and warned that anyone found to be collaborating with the illegal miners would not be spared.

He disclosed that all stakeholders, including civil society, are also informed to support the fight against the Galamsey activities, in order to help protect and preserve the river bodies and all farmlands in the region.

By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah.

The Upper East Regional Health Directorate is worried about incidents of assault on health professionals in the region, which have the propensity to affect the morale of health workers and the quality of health care delivery.

Assault on Nurses
According to the Regional Health Director, Dr. Koku Awoonor-Williams, health staff have been beaten up by some community members while on duty. He cited an incident in Kajelo in the Kassena-Nankana area, where a nurse was severely beaten up by a community member, and in the process, had her right eye damaged. He said the perpetrator beat up the nurse because the she had given him drugs he perceived were less than what he should have been given. The Health Directorate was currently seeking high level treatment for the nurse.

In a similar incident, another nurse was beaten up in the Bawku West District, because he was treating a woman whose husband had beaten her up and asked the nurse not to treat her.  The Director described these cases as serious and which bordered on being against the law, and gave the assurance that his office would ensure that the perpetrators are dealt with according to law.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams raised these concerns during a press briefing on newborn care activities in the region. He said, sometimes, there were a lot of outrageous statements about the health delivery system in the region’s hospitals and health centres, but nothing was being said about the negative things that happen to health staff.

“When it goes against the health sector, people are quick to speak, but when it goes against them, we hardly hear any support from the media. Our nurses are being beaten in the communities, and nobody talks about it, but when a nurse shouts on a patient, then it’s all over the place,” the Director lamented, and called to the media to report on such matters, and also educate the people.

Speaking on newborn care activities in the region, the Director said the period when much concentration was on the survival of a mother during delivery, to the neglect of the baby, was over, and that the time had come for the same level of concentration to be given to mothers as well.  He explained that because more concentration was given to mothers than babies, that was why progress was made in achieving lower mortality for maternal health.

“Because, when a woman goes to a facility, everybody focuses on the mother. The mother should be alive. If the baby is delivered, it is put somewhere, and, for instance, if the mother is bleeding and is in distress, everybody is running around and concentrating on the mother, and if the baby passes on, everybody is like it’s ok, at least, we thank God the mother survived. We have passed that bridge where we over-concentrated on the mothers. Now we want to concentrate on both the mother and the baby, so that the mother can go home with the baby”.

To further buttress his explanation, Dr. Awoonor-Williams said the region was doing very well, and, in fact, was the lowest among the ten regions of Ghana on maternal deaths issues. “That is not to say mothers are not dying. Mothers are still dying, and our goal and our wish is that no mother should die while giving life,” he stressed. He said even though the region had the lowest maternal mortality rate, the Health Directorate was working towards getting zero maternal mortality.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams admitted that when it came to child mortality, the region was not doing well at all, stressing that if the mother survives, the baby must also survive. According to him, within the whole ambit of child mortality, it had been observed that mortality under five, otherwise referred to as neo-natal mortality, was 40 to 50%.

He said if the Health Service could address this, based on the percentage contribution of neo-natal mortality, they would have been making so much progress. He also said under newborn mortality, a lot of the issues were not within the control of the health professionals, but rather, they were about the communities, cultural, behaviour, and attitudes, and all these combined, must be addressed at the community level.

Unfortunately, he said, his staff could not be in every community. He was particular about negative cultural practices that were inimical to newborns, such as keeping children for five or more months after their deliveries, because landlords were not present, as well as the concoctions that women were forced to take during delivery, the kinds of herbs that they smeared on the umbilical cord, and the kinds of concoctions mothers gave to their babies to drink, for one reason or the other, such as babies not passing stool, and the belief that the first breast milk was not good for newborn babies after delivery.

Women are also locked up in rooms during delivery to deliver alone. This was to prove to their husbands that they were faithful wives who did not have affairs outside of their marriages.
Role of the Media

Dr. Awoonor-Williams, therefore, acknowledged the role of the media, especially local private radio stations, in educating the people to desist from some of these outmoded cultural practices that posed serious threats to newborn babies.  He announced that in order to improve on newborn care, the Ghana Health Service and Ministry of Health had established in two of the region’s major hospitals – the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga and War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo – Neonatal Intensive Care units for the first time in the history of the region.

He explained that Neonatal Intensive Care units are to make kids who were very sick at delivery survive by hi-tech medical services.  The conditions of such babies included babies who were jaundiced severely and underweight.  The Director hoped over the next two years, these hi-tech medical services would be scaled up to cover the Bongo, Zebilla, and Sandema districts hospitals.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams applauded the media in the region for the wide coverage during the launch of this year’s Child Health Promotion Week, which took place in the region.  He described the week as one of the major interventions towards child survival, during which period, the GHS/MoH provided comprehensive child health services to all kids in Ghana. He said one of the ways his Directorate could improve upon community information relationship was to provide information cinema vans that would move to communities and show movies and films on major health activities that would impact positively on the communities.

He hinted that his Directorate was working on a proposal in acquiring a cinema van with a public address system for community-based health education activities.  He was optimistic the proposal would go through, and appealed to local radio stations to allocate some airtime to support the Directorate’s educational programmes.

Dr. Awoonor-Williams also touched on a number of health issues in the region, including the following:
Teenage pregnancies: Upper East Region has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in the country. Recently, statistics available at the Nabdam District Girl Child Education Unit of the Ghana Education Service revealed that since the beginning of the 2013-2014 academic year, a total of 43 teenage school girls were pregnant.

The Health Director described the situation as “we have babies getting pregnant.” He said the situation was most awful in the Bongo District, and added that these were serious health problems which the hospitals alone could not handle without the involvement of the media, religious and traditional leaders, and parents. Stunted growth: Dr. Awoonor-Williams said the region again has the highest rate of stunted growth and malnutrition in the country. “So you have stunted mothers giving birth to stunted babies. Before the child is born, he is already stunted.

Stunting is a chronic disease,” he said.
But what could possibly be responsible for some of these conditions? The Health Director believed it was due to ignorance, and called on the media to support in educating the people about the dangers of such issues. Ambulance services: He observed there were so many communities in the region where ambulance services could not reach due to the general organisation of the service. He suggested that there was the need for the whole referral system to be redesigned to meet the current needs of the people.  The road network linking communities to hospitals was generally terrible, such that no ambulance could travel on such roads to save lives.

It was against this background that Dr. Awoonor-Williams, with the support of his administrators, designed what was now termed as “Appropriate Technology” as ambulance services.This is the modification and introduction of tricycles as ambulances to provide similar services, which innovation, the Director said, had saved many lives. He said in areas where this innovation was introduced, high-class ambulances could not reach there, especially in the rainy season.

The Regional Coordinator of Newborn Care, Rofina Asuru, revealed that from 2010 to 2013, the region recorded 143 maternal deaths, as against 552 neonatal deaths within the same period.  As part of measures to curb this frightening trend, the Coordinator said, since 2013, 112 health staff, comprising doctors, midwives and general nurses, had been trained on how to detect illnesses in newborns using a colour coding.

From Samuel Agbewode.

The North Tongu District National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been described by clients as one of the best in the region, as beneficiaries of the scheme explain that the professional competence of the staff, coupled with sound human relations with the people, has distinguished them from others.

They explained that initially, they did not understand the NHIS concept, but due to the hard work and dedication to duty by the staff, who regularly visit them in their communities to educate them, made it possible for most of them to appreciate the value of the scheme.

Speaking to the Volta File at Adidome Hospital, the valid card holders of the scheme said as a result of the intensive education on the scheme, most of them voluntarily visit the offices of the NHIS at Adidome to renew their cards whenever they expire, and boldly visit the hospitals in times of sickness – Adidome and Battor hospitals – without any difficulty.

They said since they registered under the scheme, they had seen significant improvement in their lives, because, apart from the stress they normally go through before getting access to health care facilities was a thing of the past. He further said that it had made life better for them, and even though there was general hardship, monies they could have used, as experienced in the cash and carry system, were being used to improve their standard of living.

The card holders of the scheme further explained that even though the name of the Scheme is “North Tongu Health Insurance Scheme”, it is the same scheme that serves the Central Tongu District, and appealed to the authorities to institute an award scheme to reward hard working staff like those at the North Tongu Health Insurance Scheme, to motivate others to work harder.

The North Tongu NHIS District Manager, Mr. Jonathan Tsewor, who admitted the hard work of the staff, pointed out that such recognition by the people was not without challenges,. He bemoaned a challenge where the two districts had most of the communities in remote areas, where access roads were very bad, particularly during the rainy season, and the personnel found it extremely difficult to reach them.

Mr. Tsewor disclosed that as a result of the poor nature of roads, personnel of the scheme, determined to achieve success, walk through floods as a result of heavy rains through which no vehicle or motorbikes could pass to some of the communities.
He disclosed that the scheme recorded a total registration of 6,862 from January to May, 2014, and had 26,065 cards renewed within the same period, whilst the total number of active membership stands at 87,062.

He revealed that the scheme had exceeded its set target for the first quarter of the year. The Manager said the hard work of the staff had paid off, because they were able to record 95 percent of people in the two districts. He said it was on record that the scheme did not owe any of the service providers in the districts.

Mr. Tsewor used the opportunity and appealed to institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the region and outside it to extend their activities to the health sector by supporting the NHIS at the District level. He also appealed for assistance in procuring additional vehicles to complement their only pickup to augment outreach programmes.

Mr. Tsewor also appealed to traditional rulers to use their authority and influence to urge their subjects to register under the scheme, to enable them derive the needed benefit, as well as youth groups to compel their members to embrace the NHIS concept. He said one major area that the scheme had paid special attention to was the free registration of the aged and destitute, and special treatment given them.

The Administrator of the Adidome Hospital, Mr. Jacobs Amegatsey, said the hospital recorded 96 percent out of the total number of people who attended the facility, and commended the staff and management for their efforts.  Mr. Amegatsey explained that the hospital, however, recorded 40 percent of client who visit the hospital as those engaged in the cash and carry system, which posed a major problem to the administration, because these category of people found it difficult to pay their bills after treatment, and some who were treated and discharged still owe the facility various sums of money.

According to the Administrator the health insurance system had proved to be good, because after card bearing members of the Scheme attend hospital and are treated, the management of the Scheme pays the amount involved. Mr. Amegatsey disclosed that currently 17 clients involved in cash and carry at the hospital could not pay and left a total debt of 1,456. He disclosed that some of the people were actually not in a position to pay the cost involved for treatment, and stressed the need for all to embrace the NHIS system to enable them visit the facilities anytime they fall sick.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

Plan Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is to support the Girl Power Project in the Ashanti Region with an amount of GH¢220,000 in scholarships, to over 100 students.

Part of the amount would also be used in providing vocational skills to Junior High School products, to enable them to become self-employed. The Girl-Child project, which started in 2011with the support of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, would benefit 32 communities in the Ashanti Region.

The beneficiary communities include six each in the Bosomtwe and Kwabre East districts, and 10 each from the Kumasi Metropolis and Obuasi Municipality. The beneficiary communities in the Bosomtwe District are Aputuogya, Pease, Kuntanase, Asiriwa, Kotwi, and Adunku.

Mr. Barimah Akwasi Amankwaah, acting National Coordinator of Ghana NGOs Coalition, revealed this at the end of a two-day workshop on the Right of the Child and the role and responsibilities of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and School Management Communities, at Kokoado in the Bosomtwe District.

The workshop was aimed at building the capacity of the participants to improve education in those areas, as well as ensuring the success of the Girl Power Project, which aims at reducing sexual and gender-based violence against girls and young women, and ensure socio-economic empowerment among them, by strengthening the quality and access to education.

The Acting Co-ordinator emphasised the importance of education in development, and urged PTAs and SMCs to play meaningful contributions in their communities. Ms Margret Brew Word, Co-ordinator in charge of the Girl Power Project, appealed to the participants to show interest in education in their respective areas.

Mr. Kwadwo Owusu, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Association of Ghana (EPA), indicated that the EPA was complementing the Girl Power project in the Bosomtwe District. Ms Victoria Manko, a participant, thanked Plan Ghana for sponsoring the workshop, and hoped the participants would play vital contributory roles towards the successful implementation of the Girl Power Project in Ghana.

From Ishaque Agyei.

The chiefs and people of the Edina Traditional Area in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo- Abirem Municipality (KEEA) have expressed disappointment in President Mahama for failing to attend their annual Bakatue Festival which was celebrated over the weekend, despite a series of invitation letters and telephone calls to his office.

What rankled the chiefs most was that the Office of the President did not even deem it necessary to send a representative for the President, if he could not make it. The situation was so embarrassing that some National Democratic Congress (NDC) members of parliament, who were having their meeting in a nearby hotel, had to rush to the durbar grounds uninvited, to occupy the seats reserved for the President and his team.

A source within the Bakatue Planning Committee revealed to The Chronicle that several letters inviting the President to the durbar were sent to the KEEA Municipal Assembly and the Regional Coordinating Council, as well as the Chief of Staff, to be delivered to the President some months ago.  The Traditional Council was later informed that the President would attend the event.

The source, which claimed this was not the first time the President had embarrassed the chiefs, said several telephone calls were made to the Office of the President when the date was approaching, but nothing came of it.  Some of the chiefs who thought the President could have sent a message, or call to explain why he could not honour the invitation, threatened to boycott any decision by the planning committee to invite him (President) again for any festival in the area.

Speaking on the theme “Time to Promote Ghana’s Trade Potentials is now; Patronise Ghana Made; Be a Proud Ghanaian,” the Omanhen of the Edina Traditional Area,  Nana KodwoCondua VI, advised the people to be hard working in order to develop the community. According to him, the 2014 Bakatue Festival, which also marks his 16th Anniversary as Paramount Chief of the area, was a memorable and exciting one, since the whole community was involved in the preparation and execution of traditional rites of the festival.

He appealed to the government to hasten work on the landing site projects, which when, completed, would include refrigeration and ice making components to help the work of the fishermen in the area. Nana Condua VI, again, drew the attention of the government to the work on the Elmina bridge, as well as the construction of a Fishing Habour, adding that Elmina plays a major role in the artisanal fishing industry in the country.

He noted that even though the government was doing its best for the community, the inhabitants also had some roles to play.
Nana Condua VI also advised the people to continue to promote and maintain peace and unity in the community. He pledged to bring them together as one family, under one umbrella. The Paramount Chief commended the youth leaders in Elmina for the various roles they played for a successful Bakatue.

Bakatue literally means Lagoon, and is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the town, Elmina, by the Europeans. It is also celebrated to invoke the deity, Nana Benya’s continuous protection of the state and its people. During the celebration, the Paramount Chief and his sub-chiefs, elders, fetish priests and priestesses, and the entire state, offer the sacred food of eggs and mashed yam mixed with palm oil to the river god, and pray for peace.

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw.

The Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipal Directorate of Education has recognised selfless and dedicated teachers in the municipality.

Last Thursday, teachers and deserving students were honoured with various prizes, including television sets, for their dedication to the teaching and learning process in the district, at a reactivated Teachers Awards.  Teaching and non-teaching staff and schools which excelled in academic performance were not left out.

Mr. Isaac Dwumaa, a teacher of the Ejura Municipal Brigade Junior High School (JHS), was adjudged the Best Mathematics Teacher, while the school which excelled in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) went to Yaodin Junior High School.

The Most Regular Teacher Award went to Mr. Prince Adu Poku of Sekyedumase R/C Junior High School, followed by Miss Ernestina Boamah, with Daniel Osei Owusu of Ejura Methodist Primary emerging the number one regular student. The Municipal Chief Executive Officer (MCE), Alhaji Muhammed Bawa Braimah, applauded the teachers in the Municipality for their dedication to work.

Alhaji Bawa stated that education is the key to the socio-economic advancement and development of any country, and urged teachers to adopt alternative strategies in the face of inadequate resources to help resuscitate our educational system from the verge of collapse.

The MCE stated that for a teacher to be effective, he must make qualitative and efficient use of the resources available, and develop character traits, to serve as a role model for the children they teach. MCE Bawa gave the assurance that his administration had put measures in place to resource and motivate teachers in the Municipality, and cautioned teachers against intolerable behaviours such as lateness, absenteeism, non-professional use of contact hours, alcoholism, and partisan politics during school hours.

Alhaji Bawa disclosed that the Assembly had acquired 100 bicycles to be given to students who walk to and from school from distances to facilitate their movement, and called on philanthropists and stakeholders to come to their aid with the provision of bicycles and other aids to students. The Municipal Education Director, Mr. Joseph Kwame Appiah, stated that despite the numerous challenges the Municipal is reeling under, the authorities could draw a long list of high quality teachers in the Municipality.

He said the occasion should also remind parents, stakeholders, and the general public of their crucial role to effectively collaborate with teachers in the proper upbringing of the future leaders of the nation. According to him, the Municipal Directorate of Education was concerned about the improvement of quality in education, hence the identification of teacher motivation as the central pin in its support to education in the Municipality.

Director Appiah stressed that lack of respect for, and appreciation for the work of teachers in several communities, account for the general malaise in the teaching profession. He, however, bemoaned the low class attendance on Mondays at Ejura and the surrounding communities, because Mondays are observed as local market days in the Municipality.

From Alfred Adams.

A normal downpour last Friday, led to the streets and roads in the Twin-City submerged, exposing the poor drainage planning of the city.

At the Takoradi Market Circle, water flowed on the streets entering peoples’ offices and stores, leaving them no option than to bail the water out and mop up.  In some instances, the water remained stagnant on the streets compelling pedestrians to walk through in order to cross to the other side.

The worst affected place was the Metro Mass Transit station near the Beach Road, where the whole station was submerged by water. Passengers could be seen carrying their luggage, whilst standing in water. Though, this was not the first time streets in the Twin-City, which now prides itself as ‘Oil City’, have been submerged by water as a result of a downpour, but there have been no moves by city planners to contain the problem.

Some weeks ago, the city authority, the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), moved to decongest the metropolis, desilting choked gutters amongst others, but that seemed not to have worked.  This is because, the rate at which the downpour submerged the streets raises questions about the proper drainage planning put in place by the authorities to contain any downpour.

From the Takoradi Polytechnic Road to main Takoradi, water submerged the roads, leading to piling up of vehicular traffic.  The liberation road was also submerged with water taking over the Nagel Memorial Clinic, with folders of patients being destroyed. That apart, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) sub-office, located on the Takoradi-Apowa road, had its fence wall pulled down.

From Isaac Akwetey-Okunor.

The management of the Mampong-Akuapem Presbyterian Senior High School (SHS) has launched a passionate appeal to the government to quickly come to their aid, since unfolding events in the school did not create the appropriate environment for quality teaching and learning.

According to the management, they feel disappointed that only 12 unit classrooms and two teachers’ bungalow have been provided by the government since the school was absorbed into the public system some 23 years ago.

Speaking to the Eastern File, the Headmaster of the school, Rev. Ebenezer Tetteh Akusaki, expressed his displeasure over the way the school had been neglected by governments, and enquired how a school with a population of 1,860, made up of 909 boys and 951 girls, could only boast of a six-seater Kumasi Ventilated Improve Pit (KVIP) for the girls and eight-seater for the boys.

He hinted that this development, coupled with other matters, pose serious health concerns, since the students have to be in a long queue every morning when they want to respond to nature’s call. Rev. Akusaki stressed that those who could not be in the long queue consider the free range method, and reduce any available space on the compound to a place of convenience, which, if not addressed immediately, could lead to outbreaks of diseases.

Throwing light on the water situation in the school, the Headmaster claimed that the school was initially set up to offer formal education to students from the Akuapem area, but now admits students from all parts of the country, leading to an increased student population, with its corresponding water challenges.

He disclosed that, so far, only two out of five boreholes drilled by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, philanthropists and the school to resolve the intermittent water supply, are functioning, this, coupled with other factors, compels the students to walk a distance of over one kilometre every day to fetch water from a nearby stream for their personal use.

This, management bemoaned, did not only produce an opportunity for wayward students to run to town, but also exposed them to a lot of danger, while robbing them off valuable time for academic work. The Mampong-Akuapem Presby Headmaster was full of praise for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for various developmental projects, including classroom blocks, dormitories, and toilets facilities among others.

According to him, the school has survived on the wings of the PTA for the past 23 years, through the construction of a one-storey double apartment girls’ dormitory, and a similar, but lager, boys’ dormitory. Others include the building of the Senior Housemaster’s residence, a one-storey classroom block with space for a library, and construction of a shed, which is currently being used as a dining hall and a place for social gatherings.

Touching on the contributions of the Student Representative Council (SRC), the Headmaster further expressed his gratitude for the key role it was playing in the development of the school. He disclosed that the SRC had constructed a four-capacity modern barber’s shop in the school to trim students’ hair, a development that has reduced the movement of students to town for that purpose.

According to the Headmaster, the vision and mission of the management of the schoo, which was to produce scholars whose foundation would be uprightness and honesty, and who see the sky as a springboard and not a limit, would be a mirage if the necessary environment for quality teaching and learning were not provided. According to the Headmaster the roughest of roads, often leads to the top, adding that despite the numerous challenges facing the school, it continues to make remarkable strides in its academic pursuits. Out of the 908 students presented in 2013 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), 325 passed in all eight subjects, 321 in seven, 175 passed in six, 63, 16, 2 and 1 passed in five, four, three and one respectively, with five students absent.

Despite disappoint in the government, the Headmaster was quick to praise it for supplying the school with 50 laptops, as well as internet connectivity, and equipping the science laboratory with modern scientific equipment. Meanwhile, a 20-seater water closet, which is under construction through house dues paid by the students, has come to standstill, because the accrued funds could not continue the project, let alone complete it. The students have, therefore, called on corporate bodies and individuals to assist its management meet their needs.

By Bernice Bessey

As part of its commitment to improve life in communities across the country, the Vodafone Ghana Foundation has provided free healthcare to over 700 residents of Sunyani in the Brong-Ahafo Region, and some parts of Accra.

Through its innovative initiative ‘HealthFest’, the Foundation offered members of the community an opportunity to be screened for diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and Hepatitis B and glaucoma.

The Foundation also created a gym and aerobics section to promote healthy a lifestyle and wellbeing.

In addition to the screening, the Foundation and its partners provided free medication and medical advice for some specific diseases.

“I am so happy to receive this healthcare for free, and the doctors have been very helpful,” said Yaa Serwaa, a delighted beneficiary. “I thank Vodafone for making it possible for some of us, who would otherwise, be denied access to such services, due to lack of funds.”

HealthFest, which was launched this year, is in line with the Foundation’s long-term commitment to improving the lives of people in communities.

So far, three regions, namely Greater Accra, Ashanti, and the Brong-Ahafo have benefitted from the initiative.

Speaking to reporters on the margins of the event, held over the weekend, Corporate Communication Manager for Vodafone Ghana, Daniel Kissi-Asiedu, said that the year-long exercise is aimed at providing free quality healthcare to people of deprived communities in Ghana.

According to Daniel, the HealthFest train would be moving to other parts of the country in the coming months with its team of medical experts.

He urged Ghanaians to take advantage of the company’s HealthLine 255, by dialing 255 to seek expert medical advice.

“HealthLine 255 is a medical call centre, run by clinical staff and provides expert medical advice to people. The centre opens daily from 4pm to 10pm, including Sundays,” said Daniel.

Since its establishment in 2009, the Vodafone Foundation has championed social and impactful investment programmes in the country, including the construction of boreholes, and the refurbishment of both the child and adult cancer wards of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

By Bernice Bessey

Misconceptions about breast cancer which has led many affected women especially, to live in obscurity, according to Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chief Executive Officer of Breast Care International (BCI) Ghana, is a result of lack of information and education.

To end the misconception about cancer treatment and care, the BCI has organised a one-day information and education voluntary workshop for the spouses of Presbyterian ministers in Accra about the risk, early detection, and treatment of cancer.

She said the aim of the workshop was to train volunteers to help create awareness about breast cancer, which is on the rise and affecting both men and women in the country.

The workshop was organised in support of the Peace and Love Hospitals, Presbyterian Minister Wives Association, and the Inter-Commercial Impex Limited, producers of Forever Easy and Yofi sanitary pads, under the theme: “Education to make a difference in breast cancer. Together we can make it.”

Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, while delivering her opening address, reiterated that the obscurity many of the affected patients are living in was a result of lack of information and education, which must be made available in every quarter of society: “We want our women to be breast cancer aware, not scared.”

She attributed some affected patients’ late reporting to the hospital to spiritual beliefs, as some of the women are detained at various prayer camps, believing to be healed by their faith: “We are not saying prayer is bad, but prayer without works is not effective.”

She noted that some of these spiritual leaders have the least or no knowledge about cancer, and therefore, detain patients with the belief that it is a spiritual attack and must be prayed for, instead of hospital treatment.

With these incidences, cases are, therefore, reported late to the hospitals when the tumors have gone out of hand, and Mastectomy (removal of breast) or breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) by radiation is the only option.

Since the cause of cancer in our world is unknown, Breast Care International Ghana has embarked on a nationwide training of nurses, local organisations, and churches among others.

Dr. Wiafe Addae urged Ghanaians, especially women, to conduct self breast examinations, clinical examinations and mammogram tests for early detection, and also should not refrain from visiting the hospital since the National Health Insurance Scheme covers breast cancer treatment.

The Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Rachel Florence Appoh, highly commended Dr. Wiafe and Breast Care international Ghana for their endless efforts to demystify and eradicate cancer from Ghana.

Rachel Appoh, although will soon cease to be a Deputy Minister at the Gender, Children and Social Protection Ministry, said the cause to support programmes that seeks to train participants to acquire basic knowledge in order to act as voluntary promoters in the various local communities falls in line with the ministry’s vision.

“As a ministry, we join hands with many ministries, departments, governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies (NGO), and civil society organisations, as well as private entities, to help address challenges and societal problems confronting us, especially the health of or women and mothers,” she stated.

She, however, appealed to women and young girls to seek early help, and not to be afraid or harbour negative emotions and misconceptions about breast cancer treatment for the detection of the disease.