News
Italian Embassy marks 23rd Italian language week celebration
The 23rd edition of the Italian language week celebration (Settimana Dela Lingua Italiana Nel Mondo) ended in Accra last week with the rich cultures of Ghana and Italy in full display throughout the published works and arts.
The week-long event was organised by the Italian Embassy in Accra in collaboration with the Italian Business Association of Ghana (IBAG), Ghana Italian Women Association (GIWA) and Piccola Bibilotcca Italiana.
The event brought together seasoned authors and publishers from their two countries to celebrate the cultural exchanges.
The host, the Italian Ambassador to Ghana and Togo, Ms Daniela d’Orlandi, was joined by other dignitaries including a representative from the Ghana Library Board (GLB), Mr Hayford Siaw, to mark the day.
It was commemorated with eight different activities including lectures and reading sessions.
A reading session for children dubbed ‘READ Aloud; Rodari’s Tales,’ at Piccolo Biblioteca Italiana in Accra, kicked the celebrations into motion and was followed by an October 22 workshop dubbed, ‘Let’s colour the world with books’ also for children between the ages of nine to 18 years.
Other events included open discussions on several topics and lectures expertly delivered by notable speakers including Prof. Pierluigi Valsecchi, Prof. Matteo Grilli, Giola Guerzoni and Andrea Ceccarelli.
In an address, Ms d’Orlandi commended the participants for their respective roles in the event to celebrate the cultures of the two countries through their works.
A speaker from Italy, Giola Guerzoni, challenged publishers to delve more into the area of fiction with good story lines.
Andrea Ceccarelli, an Editor, expressed his joy to be in Ghana to be part of the celebration and hoped that publishers will make themselves more visible to be reached from outside Ghana and help raise awareness about Ghana’s publishing sector.
By Margaret Barden
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The doctors after a meeting yesterday have withdrawn emergency services following the dismissal of the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital.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.
