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Mad rush for hydrogen peroxide despite price hike

Following the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, some Ghanaians have aggressively resorted to hydrogen peroxide which is said to be an antidote to the deadly disease by gargling.

This had created artificial shortage of the traditional oral hygiene fluid (hydrogen peroxide) at the drug stores and markets.

But the Lead Researcher on hydrogen peroxide, Rev. Emeritus Professor Andrews Seth Ayettey had warned that, its wrong use, might not yield any positive results as such users should stick to the correct measurement for the desired impact.

One of the preventive mixtures that have been discovered to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 is the hydrogen peroxide.

Eight frontline nurses in the COVID-19 Management Team at a District Hospital in Accra who are said to have used hydrogen peroxide have not contracted the disease and had also tested negative to the disease.

According to a dependable source, the demand for hydrogen peroxide had gone high in some pharmacies as a result of the new discovery.

“Although prices haven’t changed at some reputable pharmacies like Parker Pharmacy at Korle Bu which still sells it at GH₵5.50p, the commodity is out of stock as I speak”, the source said.

However, some pharmacies, due to the high demand, have increased the price of hydrogen peroxide to GH₵12.00 which is twice the actual price, as compared with when it had not been discovered as a remedy for COVID-19.

Speaking to “The Spectator”, the source stressed that, “prices of hydrogen peroxide would continue to go high in some pharmacies, now that it has been said to be out of stock and demand is still very high”.

According to Mr Samuel Affuma, Pharmacist at Top Pill, Dzorwulu Branch, they had about 20 bottles of hydrogen peroxide on Friday, January 22, 2021 but as of Monday, January 25, 2021 everything was sold out.

He was emphatic that some enquiries he made revealed that some people drank the substance every morning upon hearing that it could cure COVID-19.

He stressed the need for the public to be educated more on the use of hydrogen peroxide especially on the television to avoid any complications because people were drinking the mixture instead of gargling and that this was very dangerous.

By: Blessing Boniface

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NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.

This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.

The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture.

“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”

Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.

The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.

According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.

He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”

“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.

The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.

According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”

A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.

Story By : Vivian Arthur

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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal

Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.

Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.

Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.

Here are the results in Zone Two