Editorial
Caring for underprivileged in our society is necessary
It is not everyone in society who will be born into families that are highly educated, rich or very knowledgeable; this is why we need to develop love and care for all people that we come in contact with in our society.
Under-privileged persons in our society include those who come from less educated families or the poor or those who have problems such as being physically challenged. Such people may find it difficult to go about their normal duties in society because of lack of financial resources or inadequate education or, better still, their inability to go about their duties with ease.
In such situations they need our sympathy and assistance to make it possible for them to go about their normal duties in society. Those who find ourselves in very good positions should count ourselves lucky and be willing to assist the underprivileged.
We must never discriminate against them or look down on them simply because of their poverty level or low level of education. Again, others may be involved in motor accidents and, therefore, become paralysed or physically challenged one way or the other.
In situations like this, we must show great love to such people and be prepared to spend part of our personal resources to make it possible for them to enjoy normal life.
We may not be able to bring them into the normal situation which God may have planned for them, but the little we do can make it possible for their lives to be better.
It is in light of this that we find it gratifying to see certain leaders in this country contributing massively to the underprivileged in our society. The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is often seen to be sharing his life and personal resources to some of these underprivileged persons.
His association with people suffering from leprosy, for example, is well known in this country. Also, his commitment to the poor irrespective of religious beliefs has touched the heart of many people across the country. The Vice President has called on Ghanaians to show care and concern to the underprivileged in society.
If we all emulate him, it will go a long way to make it possible for us to put smiles on the faces of those who have very little to eat and drink in the country. In addition, caring for them, including those admitted to our hospitals, will make life better for our unfortunate brothers and sisters who may find themselves in such unfortunate situations.
We pray that people who are leading the light in this way receive abundant blessings from God for the good work they are doing.
Let us count ourselves very fortunate and be prepared to help the underprivileged in society so that life can be made better for many of our brothers and sisters who require such help from us.
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
