Editorial
Be wary of lotto fraudsters
Dear Editor,
The National Lottery Authority (NLA) is doing all it can to deal with fraudsters that have ‘invaded’ the system but the charlatans continue to devise new methods every day.
I have so far blocked about three numbers from unknown persons on my WhatsApp who claim to be staff of the NLA.
One of them who contacted me via text recently explained he had “leaked lotto numbers” and he could help me “win big” if I am interested and went on asking me to pay a registration fee after which he would send to me the numbers to stake.
I must say that anybody who is not familiar with this trick may fall for it at the first instance, considering the convincing and ‘official style’ in which these people communicate. I have seen similar messages on other platforms with some people creating special groups that claim to have genuine lotto numbers.
There is another group of the ”lotto syndicate” which I do not have a problem with. These group only send random messages containing three lotto numbers and ask that people put a “big stake” on it. I am not bothered about this second group because anybody who chooses to stake the numbers do so at their own risk as they may or may not win.
Inasmuch as times are hard and winning lotto could be another means of income, I wish to encourage individuals to tread cautiously especially in dealing with faceless people posing as NLA Staff.
It is important to avoid any offer that sound too good to be true. Again, I urge the NLA to intensify public education and not relent on the effort of weeding out the crooks in the system.
Bless Akomea,
Achimota.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
