Editorial
Inter-hall clashes: Hooliganism, mindless youthful exuberance
Dear Editor,
About two weeks ago, I expressed concern over the conduct of some final year senior high school students and how they tended to misbehave when they were about departing the school after writing their papers.
Just when I concluded my thoughts and submissions on the matter and insisted that the wayward students be tamed, I heard of the clashes at the University of Ghana, Legon between students of Commonwealth and Mensah Sarbah halls.
The cause was not immediately known but we were told a number of students were injured as police personnel moved in swiftly to calm the tension. Before the dust settled on the Legon episode, some students of Katanga and Continental halls at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) also decided to attack one another during their Hall Week celebrations.
The disturbance at KNUST on Thursday, August 18, 2022, reportedly left three vehicles damaged and about 12 people injured. Authorities at Legon and KNUST have since condemned and resolved to investigate and bring the masterminds of the disturbances to book.
While we wait patiently for the outcome of the investigations, I cannot agree more with the leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) when it issued a statement saying such “needless clashes” were getting out of control and would “undermine academic peace and freedom.”
I am at a loss as to how some students in tertiary institutions choose to show their ‘might’ by engaging in acts of violence when their compatriots elsewhere are using the same time and energy productively.
I believe clashes of this nature are archaic and retrogressive and it is time student leadership and university management found permanent solutions and upgraded punitive measures for these condemnable and recurring clashes. The hooliganism and ‘mindless’ youthful exuberance must end!
Prince Kwateng Amanfo,
Prampram, Greater Accra.
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
