Editorial
Motorway repair notice not timely enough

Dear Editor,
I was part of the hundreds of commuters who were held up in heavy traffic for hours on the Accra-Tema motorway on Monday, June 13, 2022.
Noticing the blockade which had started from the motorway roundabout, our driver tried to find shortcuts through Ashaiman before joining the motorway again around the Trassaco Valley area.
It was after we managed to find our way that we saw some contractors working on a bridge on the busy road. Some policemen were on standby but commuters coming from both sides had a tough time getting to their destinations on time.
The Ministry of Roads and Highways, in response to complaints from the public, issued a statement on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 to clarify what exactly was happening on the motorway and the alternative routes commuters could use.
I heard the spokesperson of the ministry explain that the repair work was to prevent loss of lives or injury from the possible collapse of the bridge which was in a terrible state.
While I commend the ministry for being proactive in fixing the bridge, I think the clarification last Wednesday was quite unusual as road users were always prompted before a major repair works were done.
I would like to plead with the ministry’s communication unit not to keep us in the dark when similar projects are to be executed. I hope the repairs would be completed on Friday, June 17. 2022, as scheduled to allow free flow of traffic.
Frank Tayman,
Weija.
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