News
Dispel superstition, stigmatisation about breast cancer …families,friends of survivors told
● Madam Abudu
A breast cancer survivor, Madam Atika Abudu, has asked family members and friends to support breast cancer patients to help them cope with the disease treatment and management.
According to Madam Atika, the lack or limited support from family and friends could also lead to emotional distress among breast cancer patients.
She said this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra during the lunch of Breast Society of Ghana (BSoG), a fortnight ago.
The 38-year old Midwife at the Nyankpala Health Center in the Tolon District of the Northern region said some family members believe that this illness was punishment from supernatural forces or curses, hence the lack of support.
She said being diagnosed of the disease can affect one’s mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.
She said the support could be in the form of finance, privacy, emotional and psychological, adding that such support helps promote understanding and empathy for breast cancer patients.
Madam Abudu said it also boosts confidence, fights stigmatisation and helps the patient receive timely and appropriate medical care.
She said when she was diagnosed of the disease, her family initially expressed shock, concern, and fear, adding that her husband was concerned about the impact on their family’s reputation and future.
Madam Abudu said “till date my family never believed it was cancer.”
Madam Abudu called on health authorities to raise awareness, improve healthcare access, and help dispel superstitions and stigmatisation of the disease especially in the Northern region.
She also urged government to provide a mammogram machine for the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) as patients would spend huge sums of money to travel to Kumasi or Accra to have their mammogram sessions.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
