News
Coconut Revitalisation Programme launched in Volta Region
The Coconut Revitalisation Programme (CRP) was launched in Ho last Wednesday with the distribution 26,416 coconut seedlings to producers of the fruit in five districts and municipalities in the Volta Region.
The beneficiaries are from the Afadzato South, Ho West and Adaklu districts.
The rest are from the Ketu North and Ketu South municipalities.
The programme, which is under the supervision of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), is meant to promote the cultivation of coconut in those areas, not only for domestic consumption but more importantly for export.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, who launched the programme, assured coconut growers of good returns for the venture, saying the cultivation and sale of coconut had become a lucrative business for the farmers and others in the value chain in recent times.
“The exportation of the raw coconut and the processed products has been identified as another viable source of foreign income for our dear nation,” he added.
Apart from that, Dr Letsa stated that the CRP fell in line with the Planting for Food and Jobs, and Planting for Export and Rural Development initiatives.
Therefore, the Regional Minister urged farmers to embrace the CRP to reap the guaranteed benefits of good income.
Earlier, the Regional Officer of GEPA, Mr Hope Amrado said that coconut had been identified as one of the vital non-traditional crops that had bright and reassuring prospects for export.
He gave the assurance that the GEPA would also collaborate vigorously with the Department of Agriculture to provide coconut producers with the appropriate support for the success of the programme.
To ensure the success of the CRP, he said that the beneficiary farmers would sign an undertaking, pledging the proper use of the seedlings.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
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The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.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.
