News
The Holy Week for Catholics …a loving reminder
• Fr. Benny Tuazon
Holy Week is the week of all weeks for Catholic worship. It is so important that the most meaningful and essential celebrations are placed in the week. It culminates with the celebration of the Triduum of Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper, Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, and Vigil of the Lord’s Resurrection (Easter).
In those days, we remember, at the same time, experience God’s salvation.
It is so important that our government had made those days as holidays. Government respects all religions. Government recognises the value of one’s belief. Government, therefore, expects the faithful to spend those days in worship and celebration of their faith.
Thus, it is but right and proper that those days be spent as days of prayer, reflection, and participation in celebrations. Specially the three days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil (Saturday evening). It has been designed as ONE PRAYER spread over a period of three days.
They are very much connected with each other that the sign of the cross is made first at the beginning of the Holy Thursday liturgy and will again be done to close the Triduum at the end of the Easter Vigil. It follows that we should attend ALL three celebrations. Missing even one renders our worship incomplete, and maybe, useless.
It is unfortunate that there are some Catholics who either do not know this or blatantly disrespect these days. There is an appropriate time for leisure and pleasure. These days are not those days. They may have so many reasons for practicing their faith and still claim to belong to the Catholic Faith, but being absent these three vital days is untenable.
It is like the Eid ul-Fitr for Islam, Diwali for the Hindus, Magha Puja for the Buddhists, to name a few. They may even fall in comparison to our Easter. The point is, our faith is our life and our life is our faith. Celebration of the faith is not optional.
I, therefore, encourage everyone, especially parents to be good examples to their children. The ways and traditions we leave to them should be in accordance to what is right and proper, especially with faith. Wherever you are during this Holy Week, see to it that you will spend them in church participating in those celebrations.
Lastly, please preserve the solemnity and sacredness of all activities during this week.
May we all have a fruitful and meaningful Holy Week!
God bless you
By Fr. Benny Tuazon
News
Minister of Health appeals to Tamale Teaching Hospital striking doctors
The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has appealed to the striking doctors at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to calll off the suspension and come to the negotiation table.
However, he refused to apologise as demanded by the striking doctors.
The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.
This follows an unannounced visit to the hospital by the Minister on Tuesday.
The Minister made the appeal when addressing the media in Accra on Today, April 24 2025.
According to him, dialogue is the only way out to resolve the issue, adding that he was ready collaborate with them.
“I am prepared for us to come around the table and discuss whatever we need to discuss,” Mr Akandoh said.
“My humble appeal to my wonderful medical doctors and health professionals at Tamale Teaching Hospital is that I am the first person to take care of your interests. Therefore, let’s call off the strike and let’s all regroup and strategise going forward,” he concluded.
News
Health Minister donates medical equipment to Tamale Teaching Hospital, pledges commitment to reforms
The Minister for Health Kwabena Miintah Akandoh has reiterated government’s commitment to address long-standing challenges in the health sector, describing the health system as one that requires urgent reform and collective responsibility.
He made these remarks during a donation of some essential medical equipment and supplies to the Tamale Teaching Hospital on behalf of the Ministry of Health.
The donation included a wide range of equipment such as ECG machines, ICU ventilators, cardiac monitors, anesthesia machines, infant incubators, and essential
Consumables amounting to about 35 items.
Among the items highlighted were
Emergency Health Equipment (EHE) sets, nebulizer sets, and medical-grade towels.
The Health Minister acknowledged the difficult working conditions health professionals continue to endure and emphasized that government efforts alone would not be enough to resolve systemic issues.
He called for unity across the health sector and urged all stakeholders, including medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, to work together to ensure that the country’s limited resources are used efficiently.
He noted that the wellbeing of the ordinary Ghanaian should be central to healthcare delivery, cautioning against practices that marginalize the underprivileged due to resource scarcity. According to him, every Ghanaian life is valuable, and the system must reflect that belief in both policy and practice.
Mr.Akandoh stressed that his leadership approach is rooted in humility, collaboration, and respect for all health workers. While acknowledging that change may come with challenges, he maintained that cooperation is key to achieving lasting improvements in the sector.
The Minister pleaded with health professionals in the Tamale Teaching Hospital to call off the strike and regroup to strategize on more effective ways to address their concerns through dialogue and collaboration with relevant authorities.
The donation to the Tamale Teaching Hospital forms part of a broader national initiative to modernize medical infrastructure and enhance service delivery in Ghana’s healthcare.
