Editorial
Housing unit for Appeal Court judges commendable
Dear Editor,
Somewhat last week, I read the report about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurating a 20-unit residential complex for Justices of the Court of Appeal in Kumasi as part of his recent tour of the Ashanti Region.
The houses, according to the report, would be occupied by Justices serving the Northern Sector of the country, which comprises Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Northern and Upper West regions.
The project which was funded through the District Assemblies Common Fund, according to the President was part of efforts by the government to bring justice delivery closer to the people.
I am impressed with the project and its objective but I have heard critics say the President does not deserve praise because he had previously presided over demolition of bungalows housing judges in Accra to make way for construction of the National Cathedral. I find this position rather mischievous.
A member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral had once explained that the judges bungalows were dilapidated structures constructed since 1920 hence the decision to pull them down. If the justification for the demolition was anything to go by, then clearly those bungalows had not been renovated and were on the verge of collapse.
It is, therefore, disingenuous to discredit or compare the newly inaugurated housing units in Kumasi with those that were demolished for ‘strategic reasons.’ I do not think we should ‘downgrade’ this massive infrastructural development which would motivate the judiciary to work harder and promote the rule of law, just as the President stated.
Frank Twum Akwaboah
Kukurantumi – Eastern Region
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