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Center for National Culture holds competition for schools, institutions in Eastern Region
The Centre for National Culture in the Eastern Region in collaboration with ONGA has organised a cooking competition for some selected Senior High Schools in the region.
The schools were paired with some public organisations to display their skills in the preparation of local dishes such as “motuo ne nkatekwan”(rice balls with groundnut soup), waakye with shito, “mpotompoto”, “tatale ne kontomire”, “apapransa ne koto”, “brode3 ampesie ne kontomire”, “tatale ne adua abomu”, “tuo zaafi ne ayoyo nkwan,” among others.
At the end of the competition, Seventh-Day Adventist Senior High School paired with the Department of Agriculture emerged winners. New Juaben SHS and the Information Service Department (ISD) who prepared mpotompoto came second, whereas Bright SHS and the Ghana Immigration Service placed third after preparing “Tatale ne adua abomu”.
The others, Pentecost SHS and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) were fourth, Ghana SHS and the Ghana National Fire Service placed fifth, Oyoko Methodist SHS and the Ghana Revenue Authority were sixth while Ofori Panyin SHS and the Department of Gender, Children and Social Protection placed seventh in the competition.
The Municipal Chief Executive of New Juaben South Municipality, Mr. Isaac Apaw Gyesi urged the MDA’s to liaise with the Centre for National Culture in their respective districts to initiate programmes and activities to promote the cultural heritage of the country at all times.
He said that local foods and local language as part of Ghanaian culture “defines our identity at all times while it associates with a variety of health benefits, therefore I want to encourage Ghanaians to prioritise our local language and consume our respective local foods and products”.
He added that different varieties of food were associated with the ethnic groups across the regions of Ghana.
For his part, the Director of Policy Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Commission for National Culture, Mr. Phil Richardson Commey underscored the need for Ghanaians to patronise locally manufactured goods and services to minimise the importation of foreign products into the country.
He said research had shown that local foods were much healthier for the human body compared with the imported foods which were the cause of the number of present diseases which were initially not found in the country.
He encouraged Ghanaians to cultivate the habit of backyard farming, a move he believed, would help promote the consumption of local foods in the country.
Mr. Commey urged the Ghana Education Service to revise the education curriculum by prioritising agriculture to promote the interest of local food consumption.
The contestants received certificates of participation and products from ONGA foods.
From: Kodjo David, Koforidua.
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.
