Editorial
Let’s go for the jab
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), which was first reported from Wuhan City in Hubei Province of China on December 31, 2019, has since created problems for many countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the novel disease on January 12, 2020, and explained that it was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City.
Ghana recorded its first two cases of COVID–19 on March 12, 2020. The cases were all imported, but the disease quickly spread through the country within a few weeks of the first cases. The rest of the world was not spared also as the virus spread like wildfire.
The devastating effect of COVID-19 has seen many economies become destroyed and unable to organise well to improve upon the welfare of their citizens.
For this reason, economic growth slowed down and unemployment and other economic problems threatened the lives of many people.
Apart from economic problems, other people lost their lives as a result. Ghana was no exception to this calamity.
This is why the Government of Ghana fought hard to receive vaccines to prevent the infection of more people.
Many people have gone for the vaccination but others have not.
The refusal on the part of people to go for vaccination is due to some misconceptions about the vaccination.
There are some people who believe that men who go for the vaccination will be rendered impotent. These and other misconceptions have made it difficult for many people to go in for the COVID-19 jabs.
Generally, people are expected to go for three rounds of jab. These vaccines are meant to protect people who have taken the jab, so that infection will be drastically reduced.
The Spectator is, therefore, encouraging all people in the country to go for the vaccination because the COVID-19 is still around.
Health officers in the country have been doing their best to spread the good news to everyone.
The Government of Ghana also did its best to bring the situation under control when the pandemic was at its peak.
Anyone who values their life should go for the vaccine and complete all the jabs, so that they will be protected against the disease.
If we all do this, the spread of the disease will be curtailed and people in Ghana will be more productive since they will be protected from infection.
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
