Editorial
Happy 67th anniversary to all Ghanaians!
Ghana will celebrate its 67th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule on March 6, which falls on a Wednesday.
Our former leaders battled for our independence under the leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.
After a protracted struggle for independence, Ghana became the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to be free of British colonial rule; as a result, she celebrates her Independence Day on March 6 every year to honour this wonderful accomplishment.
A person who lives to be sixty-seven is no minor accomplishment; one would assume that at this age, they have experienced many accomplishments, and the same is true for our country, Ghana.
Despite the challenges, our country has undoubtedly made great progress in a number of areas, including the arts and entertainment, travel, tourism, fashion, health, and education among others.
Rich natural resources that have been exploited for profit, including gold, diamonds, bauxite, and manganese, are also a blessing for Ghana.
Ghana should be proud of its 67 years of independence as, in spite of obstacles, we have made significant progress toward democratisation from military dictatorship.
The Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, is getting ready to hold this year’s national independence celebration with the theme “Our Democracy, Our Pride.”
His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the president of Ghana, is slated to attend the event together with other dignitaries.
Ghanaians will celebrate in their traditional attire, particularly kente, to highlight their rich cultural heritage to the world.
Interesting events to mark the anniversary will be held across the nation, including fun fairs, street jams, parties, and many more.
In order to ensure a seamless, tranquil, and prosperous celebration, the Spectator exhorts all participants to celebrate modestly and to act in love and unity.
We hope that Koforidua will play home to an extraordinary and historic occasion that will proudly present Ghana’s accomplishments and rich cultural heritage to the world, which will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of the local economy.
We pray that God will bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong.
On this occasion of Ghana’s 67th independence celebration the Spectator wishes all Ghanaians a happy anniversary.
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
