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Akatsi-North District Assembly supports 123 PWDs in education, health and skills development
The Akatsi-North District Assembly, has supported 123 People Living with Disabilities (PWDs) in education, health and skills development, as part of government’s policy to empower and provide an enabling environment for PWDs to improve on their living conditions, and contribute meaningfully to development.
The District Assembly in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development (DSWCD) have provided training in employable skills, income generation activities with start-up capitals, provision of technical aids, devices, working tools, registration under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and supported those at the various levels of education.
Presenting cheques and working tools to another batch of beneficiary PWDs on Tuesday at Ave-Dakpa, the District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Simon Peter Ofosu said the era when PWDs were only given pocket monies was over and equipping them with employable skills and helping them to establish their own businesses was economically viable.
Mr Ofosu said government policy to address economic challenges confronting PWDs is being implemented at the Assembly through the PWD component of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), which was used by the Assembly to improve on the living conditions of the beneficiaries in the District.
He explained that the Akatsi-North Assembly formed Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC), which was tasked to identify PWDs to form a group that would easily benefit from the disability fund, and said the Assembly had shown much commitment to the wellbeing of PWDs in the area.
According to the DCE, much as the Assembly was committed to ensuring that PWDs were provided with the needed support to ensure that they would become economically independent, PWDs should support the activities of the Assembly by ensuring that they register with the Assembly to enable them to also benefit from the assistance being given by the Assembly.
Mr Ofosu said government support for PWDs was linked to the Sustainable Development Goal eight and ten, which aimed at ensuring economic empowerment to improve their livelihoods and mitigate the vulnerability they faced in the society among others.
The DCE also appealed to the PWDs who received support in the area of education, to take advantage of the available opportunities they were enjoying to learn hard to justify the investment government was making in them to become successful in their chosen academic carriers, to return and serve in the District.
According to the DCE, the Assembly did not impose anything on the PWDs but tried as much as possible to provide the demands that they made, as some of them requested for corn mills, sewing machines, and refrigerators to enable them to sell sachet water, plastic chairs and canopies for hiring, which were provided for them.
Mr Ofosu, however advised the beneficiaries to put the items to good use that would help transform their lives, and cautioned against sale of the items because the Assembly would regularly monitor the beneficiaries and anyone who was found to have sold his or her equipment, would no longer receive any benefit from the Assembly again.
The Akatsi-North District Social Welfare and Community Development (SWCD) Officer, Mr Isaac Abanga assured the PWDs who applied but did not benefit yet to be patient because processes to secure their equipment were underway and would soon receive them.
From LAWRENCE MARKWEI, Ave-Dakpa
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.
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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.
