Page 16: February 1, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A FORMER National Security Co-ordinator, Mr Kofi Bentum Quantson, has stated that the present political atmosphere does not portend well for peaceful elections in December.
He said the description of the 2008 elections by politicians and political parties as “the Mother of all Elections”, “a do- or-die affair”, “the political survival of parties”, open threats of recriminations and counter recriminations, among other things, were all indicators of potential disputing of election results.
Mr Quantson was speaking on the topic, “Towards a peaceful Election 2008 in Ghana: The National Security Environment”, at a round-table discussion organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in Accra yesterday.
He said the assumptions that Ghana was an oasis of peace and that it was immune to the lawlessness and instability that had affected other countries were unrealistic and fallacious.
“It is a security assessment that has expired. It has the tendency to tranquillise security appreciation into a dangerous state of complacency,” he said, adding that “to rule out certain situations in advance will be suicidal”.
He said security could be fluid and willy-nilly be adversely affected by persistent corroding irritants like bad governance, opportunism, intolerance, impunity and corruption, advising that “security appreciation must never be done on the historical assumption that it has not happened before and, therefore, it cannot happen. There is always a first time”.
Mr Quantson, whose tenure as a security officer spanned the governments of the First Republic to the Fourth Republic under the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said in an election such as Ghana’s, where distrust and suspicion dominated people’s minds, “if threat assessment is not properly organised, intervening responses can create further tensions”.
He said the threat assessment ought to be dynamic, dispassionate and objective and not based on emotional or pre-fabrications to achieve partisan objectives.
He said in an acrimonious, divisive, volatile political environment, the possibility that fanatical or unthinkable people could be manipulated to embark on criminal acts for parochial political ends should receive sustained attention.
Mr Quantson said the dishonesty, perfidy or hypocrisy of some politicians and their agents who would openly advocate for peace but covertly instigate lawlessness and vandalism was a terrible threat because “it can distort security appreciation and divert attention and resources”.
He said the unhelpful stance of sections of the media with declared entrenched positions and, therefore, open to be manipulated to pursue agenda inimical to the national interest and the irreverent manner in which some religious and traditional leaders not only openly identified with political interests but actually made unwise and even provocative pronouncements did not portend well.
According to him, there were also critical issues that were combustible and would ignite or be ignited if not properly managed.
Those, he said, related to chieftaincy matters, particularly in Bawku, Yendi, Tamale, Anloga, Sefwi and elsewhere, with clear or perceived discrimination and selectivity in the criminal justice system, all having the potential for settling scores ever present.
Mr Quantson said claims that the nation’s peace and stability was the product of any one person or any one political party, group, government, present or past, should be avoided.
He said the future of democracy in the country should reside in vigorous, enlightened, truly patriotic and uncompromisable civil society groups which could mobilise the nation to police the national institutions and structures established to protect the national interest.
“That, in my professional judgement, is the most effective way to actualise national security objectives aimed at the decent survival, safety and well-being of the people,” he said.
The Executive Director of CDD-Ghana, Professor E. Gyimah-Boadi, said this year’s elections provided another opportunity to test whether Ghana could maintain or even improve its record of generally peaceful and credible elections and, thereby, demonstrate that Africans could have good elections.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Mystery over cocaine loss-Exhibits store under 24-hour guard & CCTV
Front Page: January 31, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
Police sources have revealed that narcotic substances in the custody of the police were substituted with other substances, despite the fact that the door to the Narcotics Exhibits Store at the Police Headquarters was not damaged.
The acting Director of the Police Public Relations Unit, DSP Kwesi Ofori, who spoke to the Daily Graphic yesterday, confirmed that the exhibits store was also under a 24-hour armed guard and backed by close circuit television (CCTV).
He said the audit team was also yet to establish the exact quantum of missing narcotics, explaining that the audit was still ongoing.
The Interior Ministry, on Tuesday, ordered the arrest of the officer in charge of the Narcotics Exhibits Store at the Police Headquarters following the discovery that narcotic substances in the custody of the police had been compromised and substituted with other substances.
A statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, explained that the deal was uncovered during a routine audit at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
It said the exercise was the result of recent changes in the leadership of the CID administration.
DSP Ofori said it was after the audit team had completed its work that the substances used in substituting the narcotics would be analysed to determine what they were.
He said it was possible that the exhibits could have been substituted either on the way from the courts or within the store, explaining that if it was done within the store, the culprits would be found out.
He said it was because the Police Administration wanted to get to the bottom of the matter that it had directed all units and personnel who had something to do at the store to co-operate with the investigative team.
The Director-General of the CID, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, said it did not matter how much was lost but that it was important that officers discharged their duties responsibly.
He said law enforcement officers must learn to live above reproach, since it was their duty to instil confidence in the public psyche.
The statement from the Interior Ministry also announced the setting up of a high-powered panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the breach of the security of the narcotics storeroom, the replacement of some of the substances and the extent of such replacement.
According to the statement, the investigative panel was required to look at any other matters incidental to the deal and recommend steps to prevent any future recurrence.
The panel has Mr Kojo Armah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue-Gwira, as its Chairman, and Mr S.J. Afari, Mr Mark Ewuntomah, DCOP Kwasi Nkansah (retd) and Mr J.J. Yidani of the Ministry of the Interior as members.
Story: Albert K. Salia
Police sources have revealed that narcotic substances in the custody of the police were substituted with other substances, despite the fact that the door to the Narcotics Exhibits Store at the Police Headquarters was not damaged.
The acting Director of the Police Public Relations Unit, DSP Kwesi Ofori, who spoke to the Daily Graphic yesterday, confirmed that the exhibits store was also under a 24-hour armed guard and backed by close circuit television (CCTV).
He said the audit team was also yet to establish the exact quantum of missing narcotics, explaining that the audit was still ongoing.
The Interior Ministry, on Tuesday, ordered the arrest of the officer in charge of the Narcotics Exhibits Store at the Police Headquarters following the discovery that narcotic substances in the custody of the police had been compromised and substituted with other substances.
A statement signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Kwamena Bartels, explained that the deal was uncovered during a routine audit at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service.
It said the exercise was the result of recent changes in the leadership of the CID administration.
DSP Ofori said it was after the audit team had completed its work that the substances used in substituting the narcotics would be analysed to determine what they were.
He said it was possible that the exhibits could have been substituted either on the way from the courts or within the store, explaining that if it was done within the store, the culprits would be found out.
He said it was because the Police Administration wanted to get to the bottom of the matter that it had directed all units and personnel who had something to do at the store to co-operate with the investigative team.
The Director-General of the CID, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Frank Adu-Poku, said it did not matter how much was lost but that it was important that officers discharged their duties responsibly.
He said law enforcement officers must learn to live above reproach, since it was their duty to instil confidence in the public psyche.
The statement from the Interior Ministry also announced the setting up of a high-powered panel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the breach of the security of the narcotics storeroom, the replacement of some of the substances and the extent of such replacement.
According to the statement, the investigative panel was required to look at any other matters incidental to the deal and recommend steps to prevent any future recurrence.
The panel has Mr Kojo Armah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue-Gwira, as its Chairman, and Mr S.J. Afari, Mr Mark Ewuntomah, DCOP Kwasi Nkansah (retd) and Mr J.J. Yidani of the Ministry of the Interior as members.
CJ urges judges not to be 'little tigers'
Page 34: January 30, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Stephen Sah
THE Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina T. Wood, yesterday appealed to judges not to turn themselves into “little tigers” in the discharge of their duties.
“It will sadden our hearts to hear that you have turned yourselves into little tigers, indiscriminately devouring who you may, by the making of strange, unconstitutional or unjustifiable orders”, she said.
Addressing eight newly promoted circuit court Judges and 19 district magistrates in Accra, Mrs Justice Wood urged them to show genuine respect to the people they serve and not lord it over them or take them for granted.
“People in court are people in distress. Be firm with them, but treat them with civility”, she stressed.
Mrs Justice Wood reminded the judges of the admonishment of King Jehopshaphat to judges in the second book of Chronicles Chapter 16: 6 - 7, to “consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord there is no injustice or partiality or bribery”.
She said anything short of determining the matters or causes before them impartially and in accordance with the law would amount to dishonourable conduct.
She appealed to them to live above reproach and not disappoint the nation and the many people who had invested their time, energy and other resources in them.
The Chief Justice reminded them of an administrative directive to all judges and magistrates to actively promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in appropriate cases as that was a cost effective and healthy method of resolving disputes at the district court level in particular.
According to her, ADR was one of the pragmatic solutions to the difficulties appearing in curial dispute resolution.
“Your duty is not to pressurise, coerce or blackmail litigants or lawyers into using the process. To the contrary, you are to proactively promote ADR and use all legitimate arguments to persuade disputants and lawyers who fear that ADR leads to loss of economic and social power, prestige and influence,” she said.
Mrs Justice Wood reminded the circuit court judges that their promotions came with greater demands on their time and other resources if they were to make a positive impact on the quality of justice in their jurisdiction.
She said although in the area of law reporting, it was only the work of superior court judges that attracted the attention of the law reporters, the judgements of the late Mr Justice D. F. Annan as a circuit court judge, were of such exceptional quality that they readily found their way into the Law Reports.
“In the course of your career as circuit court judges then, the clearance evidence that you indeed deserve another elevation, to the next level of court, the high court, is for you to bring up your reportable decisions and judgements for consideration,” she stated.
The acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Gertrude Aikins, urged the judges to ensure that decisions concerning juvenile justice and maintenance orders were enforced.
She said the problem of streetism and juvenile delinquency were as a result of the flouting of court orders resulting in the non-protection and maintenance of children and mothers.
She urged them to ensure that justice was also dispensed with speedily.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Stephen Sah
THE Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina T. Wood, yesterday appealed to judges not to turn themselves into “little tigers” in the discharge of their duties.
“It will sadden our hearts to hear that you have turned yourselves into little tigers, indiscriminately devouring who you may, by the making of strange, unconstitutional or unjustifiable orders”, she said.
Addressing eight newly promoted circuit court Judges and 19 district magistrates in Accra, Mrs Justice Wood urged them to show genuine respect to the people they serve and not lord it over them or take them for granted.
“People in court are people in distress. Be firm with them, but treat them with civility”, she stressed.
Mrs Justice Wood reminded the judges of the admonishment of King Jehopshaphat to judges in the second book of Chronicles Chapter 16: 6 - 7, to “consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the Lord, who is with you whenever you give a verdict. Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord there is no injustice or partiality or bribery”.
She said anything short of determining the matters or causes before them impartially and in accordance with the law would amount to dishonourable conduct.
She appealed to them to live above reproach and not disappoint the nation and the many people who had invested their time, energy and other resources in them.
The Chief Justice reminded them of an administrative directive to all judges and magistrates to actively promote Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in appropriate cases as that was a cost effective and healthy method of resolving disputes at the district court level in particular.
According to her, ADR was one of the pragmatic solutions to the difficulties appearing in curial dispute resolution.
“Your duty is not to pressurise, coerce or blackmail litigants or lawyers into using the process. To the contrary, you are to proactively promote ADR and use all legitimate arguments to persuade disputants and lawyers who fear that ADR leads to loss of economic and social power, prestige and influence,” she said.
Mrs Justice Wood reminded the circuit court judges that their promotions came with greater demands on their time and other resources if they were to make a positive impact on the quality of justice in their jurisdiction.
She said although in the area of law reporting, it was only the work of superior court judges that attracted the attention of the law reporters, the judgements of the late Mr Justice D. F. Annan as a circuit court judge, were of such exceptional quality that they readily found their way into the Law Reports.
“In the course of your career as circuit court judges then, the clearance evidence that you indeed deserve another elevation, to the next level of court, the high court, is for you to bring up your reportable decisions and judgements for consideration,” she stated.
The acting Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ms Gertrude Aikins, urged the judges to ensure that decisions concerning juvenile justice and maintenance orders were enforced.
She said the problem of streetism and juvenile delinquency were as a result of the flouting of court orders resulting in the non-protection and maintenance of children and mothers.
She urged them to ensure that justice was also dispensed with speedily.
Friday, January 25, 2008
7,094 visitors in for Ghana 2008
Page 24: January 25, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Timothy Gobah
AGAINST the post-tournament projection that one million football fans will visit Ghana for the 26th Africa Cup of Nations, immigration officials have so far recorded only 7,094 tourists in connection with the tournament.
The data was for the period January 12 to 23, 2008.
Officialdom, however, believe that as the games progress, many more fans will arrive. That, they explain, is because many people cannot afford the cost of staying throughout the three-week tournament and will, therefore, wait for the knock-out stages.
It has also been established that Ivorian fans were making return trips on match days involving their national team.
Nigerian football fans had earlier indicated that they were coming with a contingent of 500,000 but less than 1,000 of them have arrived so far.
The Controller of Immigration in charge of Operations, Mr Laud Ofori Affrifah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday that following the media hype and projected arrivals for the tournament, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) put in place the necessary structures and staff to facilitate the arrival of the fans.
He said 1,000 officers of the GIS were massed up for the operation, with the establishment of clearance zones at the officially designated entry points at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the Aflao, Elubo and Paga borders.
He said a special games manifest was also designed for people coming in specifically for the games to facilitate their swift entry and also not to impede normal traffic flow at the borders.
Giving details of the number of people who came in for the games, Mr Affrifah said the KIA recorded 2,546; Elubo, 1815; Aflao, 1772; Paga, 767; Tamale, 102; Gonokrom, 80, and Half Assini, 12.
He said out of the 1,815 fans who entered the country through Elubo, 1,420 were Ivorian nationals and they returned after their match against Nigeria, along with 76 Guineans.
Mr Affrifah said 506 Malian and 259 Senegalese fans came in through Paga, with 627 Nigerians, 681 Beninois, 325 Guineans and 41 Malians coming in through the Aflao border.
He said 233 Angolan fans, 233 Nigerians, 265 Camerounians, 159 Guineans, 100 Egyptians, 118 Sudanese, 69 South Africans and 85 Moroccans came in through the KIA.
He said so far the fans had been very co-operative with GIS officials and indicated that the monitoring and surveillance team of the service had been going round the match centres and adjoining cities to ensure that everything was all right.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, said although the arrival figures might not be encouraging, the country would hit close to the anticipated arrivals at the end of the tournament when the data had been collated.
“I will suggest that we wait till the end of the tournament,” he said.
Mr Osei-Ameyaw said he was happy that there had not been many complaints about facilities for fans.
According to him, the only reported complaints were from fans who had not made advanced bookings but sought accommodation at the big hotels.
He said the Ghana Tourist Board had established information kiosks to assist people who needed help and appealed to fans to get in touch with the information officers for the requisite guidance.
Mr Osei-Ameyaw noted that the problem of accommodation would be keen when the competition got to its concluding stages as many people would arrive.
He was hopeful that when that happened it would afford the small hotels business.
Story: Albert K. Salia & Timothy Gobah
AGAINST the post-tournament projection that one million football fans will visit Ghana for the 26th Africa Cup of Nations, immigration officials have so far recorded only 7,094 tourists in connection with the tournament.
The data was for the period January 12 to 23, 2008.
Officialdom, however, believe that as the games progress, many more fans will arrive. That, they explain, is because many people cannot afford the cost of staying throughout the three-week tournament and will, therefore, wait for the knock-out stages.
It has also been established that Ivorian fans were making return trips on match days involving their national team.
Nigerian football fans had earlier indicated that they were coming with a contingent of 500,000 but less than 1,000 of them have arrived so far.
The Controller of Immigration in charge of Operations, Mr Laud Ofori Affrifah, told the Daily Graphic in an interview yesterday that following the media hype and projected arrivals for the tournament, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) put in place the necessary structures and staff to facilitate the arrival of the fans.
He said 1,000 officers of the GIS were massed up for the operation, with the establishment of clearance zones at the officially designated entry points at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and the Aflao, Elubo and Paga borders.
He said a special games manifest was also designed for people coming in specifically for the games to facilitate their swift entry and also not to impede normal traffic flow at the borders.
Giving details of the number of people who came in for the games, Mr Affrifah said the KIA recorded 2,546; Elubo, 1815; Aflao, 1772; Paga, 767; Tamale, 102; Gonokrom, 80, and Half Assini, 12.
He said out of the 1,815 fans who entered the country through Elubo, 1,420 were Ivorian nationals and they returned after their match against Nigeria, along with 76 Guineans.
Mr Affrifah said 506 Malian and 259 Senegalese fans came in through Paga, with 627 Nigerians, 681 Beninois, 325 Guineans and 41 Malians coming in through the Aflao border.
He said 233 Angolan fans, 233 Nigerians, 265 Camerounians, 159 Guineans, 100 Egyptians, 118 Sudanese, 69 South Africans and 85 Moroccans came in through the KIA.
He said so far the fans had been very co-operative with GIS officials and indicated that the monitoring and surveillance team of the service had been going round the match centres and adjoining cities to ensure that everything was all right.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, said although the arrival figures might not be encouraging, the country would hit close to the anticipated arrivals at the end of the tournament when the data had been collated.
“I will suggest that we wait till the end of the tournament,” he said.
Mr Osei-Ameyaw said he was happy that there had not been many complaints about facilities for fans.
According to him, the only reported complaints were from fans who had not made advanced bookings but sought accommodation at the big hotels.
He said the Ghana Tourist Board had established information kiosks to assist people who needed help and appealed to fans to get in touch with the information officers for the requisite guidance.
Mr Osei-Ameyaw noted that the problem of accommodation would be keen when the competition got to its concluding stages as many people would arrive.
He was hopeful that when that happened it would afford the small hotels business.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Korle Bu MRI out of order
Page 47: January 24, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE case of a Ghanaian footballer, John Paintsil, who was flown out to Nigeria for medical examination, has raised concerns over the Magnetic Resource Imaging (MRI) machine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital which has been out of use since May last year.
Daily Graphic enquiries about the facility has revealed that the MRI at Korle-Bu became dysfunctional after power fluctuation at the hospital resulted in the burning of some key machinery and the corrosion of the MRI.
The MRI is primarily used in medical imaging to visualise the structure and function of the body. It provides detailed images of the body in any plane. It has much greater soft tissue contrast than Computed Tomography (CT), making it especially useful in neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and oncolological diseases. Unlike CT, it uses no ionising radiation.
The Head of the Radiology Department of the hospital, Dr Alex Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that following the power fluctuation at the hospital, he requested for a stabiliser to protect the machinery.
He explained that when the MRI was inaugurated on July 27, 2005, there was no stabiliser to regulate and protect power supply to the MRI and CT Scan Centre.
He said he, accordingly, put in a request but it was not heeded to until the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system for the CT scan machine got burnt.
Dr Yeboah said the fire from that accident engulfed the entire building, with smoke entering the central air-conditioning control room, destroying some support machines for the MRI.
Since then, he said, the MRI had been out of use, awaiting the arrival of the suppliers to repair the damaged parts.
Dr Yeboah said there was every indication that the MRI should be functioning by the end of February, adding that until then anyone who needed MRI services would have to go to Nigeria or Togo.
Meanwhile, Philips Medical Systems of The Netherlands, the company working on the re-installation of the MRI scanner, has confirmed that it should be operational by the end of February 2008.
In a correspondence dated January 11, 2008 to the chief administrator and director of administration of the hospital, the company indicated that the new MRI scanner would be released from the factory by January 18, after which the system would be transported by air to Accra.
“The delivery of an air-conditioning unit with accessories supplied by a third party company has been confirmed for February 4, after which all these parts will be forwarded to Accra by air,” it said.
That letter was in response to a reminder sent to the company by the management of the hospital to repair the MRI machine before the Ghana 2008 tournament.
“As you are well aware, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Ghana 2008 soccer tournament, the Minister of Health and the Presidency are all interested in the project and keenly expect the MRI to be operational by the agreed date — January 20, 2008,” it said.
However, Philips Medical Systems, in response to the letter, explained that as the air-conditioning parts had to be installed before the installation of the MRI scanner, its activities could only start shortly after the receipt of those parts, stressing that “based on this, I would expect that your system will be up and running at the end of February”.
The letter, which was also copied to the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Health, among other persons, said although everything had been done to speed up the delivery, the dates given to it by the management of the hospital could not be met for the Ghana 2008 tournament.
The Black Stars wing back was flown to Nigeria on Tuesday night for an MRI examination after Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Guinea in the opening match of the Ghana 2008 football tournament in Accra.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE case of a Ghanaian footballer, John Paintsil, who was flown out to Nigeria for medical examination, has raised concerns over the Magnetic Resource Imaging (MRI) machine at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital which has been out of use since May last year.
Daily Graphic enquiries about the facility has revealed that the MRI at Korle-Bu became dysfunctional after power fluctuation at the hospital resulted in the burning of some key machinery and the corrosion of the MRI.
The MRI is primarily used in medical imaging to visualise the structure and function of the body. It provides detailed images of the body in any plane. It has much greater soft tissue contrast than Computed Tomography (CT), making it especially useful in neurological, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and oncolological diseases. Unlike CT, it uses no ionising radiation.
The Head of the Radiology Department of the hospital, Dr Alex Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic that following the power fluctuation at the hospital, he requested for a stabiliser to protect the machinery.
He explained that when the MRI was inaugurated on July 27, 2005, there was no stabiliser to regulate and protect power supply to the MRI and CT Scan Centre.
He said he, accordingly, put in a request but it was not heeded to until the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system for the CT scan machine got burnt.
Dr Yeboah said the fire from that accident engulfed the entire building, with smoke entering the central air-conditioning control room, destroying some support machines for the MRI.
Since then, he said, the MRI had been out of use, awaiting the arrival of the suppliers to repair the damaged parts.
Dr Yeboah said there was every indication that the MRI should be functioning by the end of February, adding that until then anyone who needed MRI services would have to go to Nigeria or Togo.
Meanwhile, Philips Medical Systems of The Netherlands, the company working on the re-installation of the MRI scanner, has confirmed that it should be operational by the end of February 2008.
In a correspondence dated January 11, 2008 to the chief administrator and director of administration of the hospital, the company indicated that the new MRI scanner would be released from the factory by January 18, after which the system would be transported by air to Accra.
“The delivery of an air-conditioning unit with accessories supplied by a third party company has been confirmed for February 4, after which all these parts will be forwarded to Accra by air,” it said.
That letter was in response to a reminder sent to the company by the management of the hospital to repair the MRI machine before the Ghana 2008 tournament.
“As you are well aware, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Ghana 2008 soccer tournament, the Minister of Health and the Presidency are all interested in the project and keenly expect the MRI to be operational by the agreed date — January 20, 2008,” it said.
However, Philips Medical Systems, in response to the letter, explained that as the air-conditioning parts had to be installed before the installation of the MRI scanner, its activities could only start shortly after the receipt of those parts, stressing that “based on this, I would expect that your system will be up and running at the end of February”.
The letter, which was also copied to the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Health, among other persons, said although everything had been done to speed up the delivery, the dates given to it by the management of the hospital could not be met for the Ghana 2008 tournament.
The Black Stars wing back was flown to Nigeria on Tuesday night for an MRI examination after Ghana’s 2-1 victory over Guinea in the opening match of the Ghana 2008 football tournament in Accra.
Back to Life- GH¢500,000 gynae theatre now operational
Front Page: January 23, 2008
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE GH¢500,000 theatre at the gynaecology unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital became operational last Monday when the first cases of surgery involving two patients were conducted there.
It brought to an end two-and-a-half years of complaints by hospital staff that the facility could not be used because of the absence of critically needed equipment to activate the theatre.
The theatre was inaugurated on July 27, 2005 by President Kufuor but the staff complained that it could not be used because some basic theatre equipment and other facilities were not provided as part of the rehabilitation exercise.
But on Monday, the two patients were operated upon at the theatre while four cases were booked for yesterday. As of 11:40am when the Daily Graphic was leaving the hospital, surgeons were on the second of the four cases.
In July, last year, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula, visited the hospital and pledged the commitment of the Ministry to provide funds for the purchase and supply of equipment to enable them to use the theatre by September, last year.
The theatre has three operating rooms and restrooms for doctors, nurses and others.
The acting Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Ben Annan, told the Daily Graphic that procurement procedures delayed the use of the theatre, although the ministry provided an additional GH¢500,000 for the purpose of securing the required equipment.
He said with the use of the Gynaecology Theatre, the Child Health Theatre would be freed for use by only the staff of that department .
He said the Gynaecology Theatre, which had not seen any rehabilitation after it was built in 1923 until funds were released in 2004 for its rehabilitation, was bigger and had better facilities.
Dr Annan expressed his appreciation to President Kufuor and the ministry for the release of funds for the rehabilitation and purchase of equipment.
He explained that with the theatre in use now, the waiting time for patients would reduce.
He said the focus of the management now would be on the Obstetrics theatre, which, he hoped, would be completed within a couple of weeks.
According to Dr Annan, when that was completed, it would go a long way to reduce both maternal and infant morbidity.
He said the rehabilitated theatre was also closer to the Gynae Ward and would, therefore, halt the incidence of wheeling patients from one end of the hospital to another.
The Principal Nursing Officer of the Gynaecology Theatre, Madam Felicia Larbie, said although all the facilities had not been provided at the new theatre, it was much better than the theatre at the Child Health unit.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE GH¢500,000 theatre at the gynaecology unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital became operational last Monday when the first cases of surgery involving two patients were conducted there.
It brought to an end two-and-a-half years of complaints by hospital staff that the facility could not be used because of the absence of critically needed equipment to activate the theatre.
The theatre was inaugurated on July 27, 2005 by President Kufuor but the staff complained that it could not be used because some basic theatre equipment and other facilities were not provided as part of the rehabilitation exercise.
But on Monday, the two patients were operated upon at the theatre while four cases were booked for yesterday. As of 11:40am when the Daily Graphic was leaving the hospital, surgeons were on the second of the four cases.
In July, last year, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Lepowura M.N.D. Jawula, visited the hospital and pledged the commitment of the Ministry to provide funds for the purchase and supply of equipment to enable them to use the theatre by September, last year.
The theatre has three operating rooms and restrooms for doctors, nurses and others.
The acting Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Ben Annan, told the Daily Graphic that procurement procedures delayed the use of the theatre, although the ministry provided an additional GH¢500,000 for the purpose of securing the required equipment.
He said with the use of the Gynaecology Theatre, the Child Health Theatre would be freed for use by only the staff of that department .
He said the Gynaecology Theatre, which had not seen any rehabilitation after it was built in 1923 until funds were released in 2004 for its rehabilitation, was bigger and had better facilities.
Dr Annan expressed his appreciation to President Kufuor and the ministry for the release of funds for the rehabilitation and purchase of equipment.
He explained that with the theatre in use now, the waiting time for patients would reduce.
He said the focus of the management now would be on the Obstetrics theatre, which, he hoped, would be completed within a couple of weeks.
According to Dr Annan, when that was completed, it would go a long way to reduce both maternal and infant morbidity.
He said the rehabilitated theatre was also closer to the Gynae Ward and would, therefore, halt the incidence of wheeling patients from one end of the hospital to another.
The Principal Nursing Officer of the Gynaecology Theatre, Madam Felicia Larbie, said although all the facilities had not been provided at the new theatre, it was much better than the theatre at the Child Health unit.
Nicholls pays farewell call
Page 31: January 22, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE outgoing Political, Press and Public Affairs Secretary of the British High Commission in Accra, Mr Gary Nicholls, says Ghana has come far in its democratic development.
He said Ghanaians should, therefore, be proud of the country considering where it came from and where it was now.
Mr Nicholls stated this when he paid a farewell call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
He said his stay in the country had been an enlightening experience considering the fact that it was his first work experience in Africa.
Mr Nicholls expressed his appreciation to the management of GCGL for the support the company’s newspapers, particularly its flagship, Daily Graphic, rendered to the High Commission.
He described the Daily Graphic as always being fair, balanced and transparent in its reportage.
He expressed the hope that his successor would come to build on the relationship and extend it for the mutual benefit of both organisations.
Mr Nicholls said he looked forward to an exchange programme between journalists of the GCGL and their British counterparts.
He explained that such an exchange programme would also enable the British journalists to learn more not only about Ghana but West Africa as a whole to enhance their reporting on the sub-region.
He said during his four-and-half-year stay in the country, the High Commission collaborated with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to organise a series of training programmes to improve the capacity of Ghanaian journalists.
Mr Awal expressed the appreciation of the management of the GCGL to the British High Commission for the support it granted the company in relation to visas and scholarships.
He expressed the hope that Mr Nicholls successor would continue to collaborate with the company to move the relationship higher.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE outgoing Political, Press and Public Affairs Secretary of the British High Commission in Accra, Mr Gary Nicholls, says Ghana has come far in its democratic development.
He said Ghanaians should, therefore, be proud of the country considering where it came from and where it was now.
Mr Nicholls stated this when he paid a farewell call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
He said his stay in the country had been an enlightening experience considering the fact that it was his first work experience in Africa.
Mr Nicholls expressed his appreciation to the management of GCGL for the support the company’s newspapers, particularly its flagship, Daily Graphic, rendered to the High Commission.
He described the Daily Graphic as always being fair, balanced and transparent in its reportage.
He expressed the hope that his successor would come to build on the relationship and extend it for the mutual benefit of both organisations.
Mr Nicholls said he looked forward to an exchange programme between journalists of the GCGL and their British counterparts.
He explained that such an exchange programme would also enable the British journalists to learn more not only about Ghana but West Africa as a whole to enhance their reporting on the sub-region.
He said during his four-and-half-year stay in the country, the High Commission collaborated with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to organise a series of training programmes to improve the capacity of Ghanaian journalists.
Mr Awal expressed the appreciation of the management of the GCGL to the British High Commission for the support it granted the company in relation to visas and scholarships.
He expressed the hope that Mr Nicholls successor would continue to collaborate with the company to move the relationship higher.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)