News
Korle-Bu Hospital ‘not a place of no return’- Dr Ampomah
Dr Ampomah speaking to the media
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, has dismissed the notion among people that the hospital is ‘a place of no return.’
According to him, statistics available do not support that claim, making the institution one of the efficient as far as healthcare delivery was concerned.
“Contrary to the belief that people die when they seek healthcare here, 99 per cent of patients admitted return home healthy after receiving treatment,” he said.
Dr Ampomah gave the clarity at the maiden Korle-Bu healthfest and photo exhibition to open up to the public.
According to him, that negative perception about the hospital has affected it, making it difficult for people to seek medical care.
“People are gripped with fear upon referral to Korle-Bu. They think they have been sentenced to death but the facility admits about 150 to 250 patients daily and most of them are discharged after treatment.”
“People on referrals with various conditions to Korle-Bu stay away for many months or years and by the time they report, it might be too late and reinforces that negative stereotype that when you go to Korle-Bu, you will die.”
“For instance, we hardly record an aesthetic deaths in this hospital. I want to reassure the public that the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital is your institution; it is a national asset which belongs to all of us and it is important we all play our roles as stakeholders to make sure Korle-Bu continue to succeed and do well,” he said.
Dr Ampomah said some stories making rounds in the media were not verified and affected people’s confidence in the institution.
He urged the media to promote the interest of the hospital, adding that, “when it comes to healthcare, a person’s confidence in the hospital was very important in the healing process. When people come and are given treatment and they feel nothing good will come out of it, they would not comply with the treatment.”
He said the hospital have started the patient feedback system to take note of the specific concerns that the public has and try to address them.
“We are not saying Korle-Bu is perfect, but we are saying you are part of the process to help us improve,” he added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
News
Ghana-Colombia strengthens ties through diplomatic engagement
In an important diplomatic engagement, the Colombian Ambassador to Ghana H.E. Daniel Garces Carabali paid a courtesy call on the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, at his office in Accra to discuss some key areas of collaboration.
The meeting focused on pressing issues, including security, decongestion of Ghana’s prisons, prison reform programmes, training programmes, improving the welfare of prisoners and enhancing disaster management in the country.
The courtesy call underscores the growing bilateral ties between Ghana and Colombia, building on previous engagements, such as the visit of the Colombian Vice President to Ghana in 2023.
The meeting demonstrates the commitment of both nations to fostering cooperation and addressing shared challenges.
News
Ghana to host African Catholic Journalists from August 10
The Union Catholique Africaine de la Presse (UCAP), also known as the African Catholic Union of the Press, in collaboration with the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners-Ghana (CAMP-G), is set to host its prestigious Triennial Congress from August 10 to 17 August, 2025.
The programme would be held at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Legon, Accra, Ghana.
This landmark event, the most significant gathering of Catholic journalists in Africa, will bring together media professionals, researchers, and experts in digital technology from across the continent and beyond.
The theme for the Congress is: “Balancing Technological Progress and the Preservation of Human Values in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Congress Highlights
The UCAP Congress 2025 will feature discussions and deliberations on critical issues arising from or related to integral human development, particularly within the framework of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Some of the key sub-themes to be addressed include:Corporate Social Responsibility in Managing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Human Values, Deploying AI in Eco-friendly Business Start-ups in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges, Technology and the Reprogramming of Social Reality, Distortion of Reality in Social and Digital Media, Ecological Education and Action Against Unsustainable Exploitation of Natural Resources, and Media and the Promotion of the Recommendations of the Synod on Synodality in Africa.
Participants will include media professionals from both ecclesiastical and lay organisations, media researchers and academics, representatives from the Vatican, government agencies, NGOs, civil society, and the digital technology sector.
Objectives of the Congress
The primary goal of this Congress is to strengthen the capacities of media professionals and educate the public on the necessity of preserving human values amid rapid technological progress. Specific objectives include; Training 100 media practitioners in Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, with a focus on balancing innovation and human values.
This will include promoting ethics and bioethics in technical research and technological innovations through media.
Advocating for human values such as respect for life, human dignity, charity, solidarity, and human rights and assessing the impact of technological progress to better understand the challenges, risks, and opportunities presented by AI will be part of the objectives.
UCAP is a continental organisation dedicated to promoting communication within the Catholic Church and its partners in Africa. With a mission to foster spiritual growth, collaboration, and responsible journalism, UCAP works to spread the Gospel, uphold human values, and support developmental initiatives across Africa and beyond.
UCAP is an independent, autonomous, non-political, and non-profit organisation comprising African Catholic journalists, communicators, academics, researchers, and institutions in various media fields.
