Editorial
Check streetlights on Prof Atta-Mills High Street
Please permit me to use your medium to draw attention to some pressing issue. I usually drive past the Professor Atta-Mills High Street and the Independence Square in Accra but never does it occur to me that this stretch of the road poses a great danger to users with 20 dysfunctional streetlights along the stretch.
While that part of the capital city is very busy during the day, with a number of people going about their daily businesses, it’s very surprising to note that the monumental stretch that was named after the late President John Evans Atta-Mills is a dangerous area to walk at night.
Institutions such as the Bank of Ghana, the Supreme Court, the Kwame Nkrumah Museum, the National Lottery Authority, and the Volta River Authority are lined up on the stretch.
In the evenings, it becomes very rare to see anyone walking in the area as it poses a great threat to human lives at that time.
Unlike during the day where a lot of people walk through the streets, in its place in the evenings, there are only the sounds of vehicles.
On one of my usual routines on Thursday, September 2, 2021, from work, as I drove past the High Street, I observed that drivers did not stop at the traffic lights between the Accra Sports Stadium and Independence Square at night due to the pitch darkness.
Also, on the Law Complex Road, I witnessed gross driving indiscipline displayed by drivers who plied that route at night as they did not obey the traffic light regulations.
The only lights functioning on the Atta-Mills high street is at the Black Star Square roundabout – the Independence Arc, and the lights atthe buildings of the institutions earlier stated.
It is very sad to note how the Prof Atta-Mills High street, which is a tourist attraction, and which sits in the heart of the capital, is gradually growing into one of the most dangerous areas to walk or travel on at night.
Government must work hard to resolve this looming danger before people are robbed of their valuables and lives are lost.
I think government can use the three per cent levy charged all consumers of electricity for street lighting (which generated GH¢273.9million of revenue in 2018 and 2019) to ensure that the entire country is properly lit up at night.
Joseph Adamafio,
Student Ghana Institute of Journalism
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
