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NICU Soldiers partners Nutriday to show love for mothers
Sunday, May 8, was Mother’s Day, a day to celebrate mothers across the world for their immeasurable contributions to their children, families and society.
However, in many hospitals were mothers who could not be part of any celebration due to the health conditions of their babies.
To help lessen the stress on such mothers, NICU Soldiers, an advocacy blog that focuses on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), visited mothers and health workers at the NICU of the Eastern Regional Hospital at Kofridua.
Supported by Nutriday, a zinc fortified yoghurt by FanMilk, the organisation shared lunch, snacks and packs of Nutriday yoghurt to health workers, mothers whose babies were on admission at the unit and presented a special gift to a mother who had been at the facility for the longest period.
According to Ms Efia Akese, founder of NICU Soldiers, she understood the plight of the women as she has experienced the NICU on two occasions.
“This unit brings back memories of sleepless nights but I am happy we can contribute to alleviating the trauma mothers here go through.
“Last year, we raised funds for parents at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra who could not afford the oxygen bills of their babies. This year, we hope to raise funds to purchase some equipment to support this unit.
“Our major fundraiser will be launched in July and this donation is a prelude to the equipment donation,” she said.
Ms Akese called on individuals and corporate organisations to support the cause of the organisation saying, “most neonatal deaths and life-long complications can be prevented if NICUs are well resourced.
“We hope to raise money to buy equipment such as phototherapy machines, neonatal pulse oximeters and radiant warmers for the unit,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to the health workers at the unit for their selflessness and commitment in ensuring that the babies were well catered for, and Nutriday for the support.
A Specialist Paediatrician at the unit, Dr Francis Mensa Akwetey expressed thanks to NICU Soldiers for the gesture.
“We really appreciate what you have done for our mothers here. Today is Mother’s Day and we are celebrating mothers all over the world but these mothers are here taking care of their sick babies.
“It is nice for you to think about these mothers who could not be at their churches or homes to be celebrated,” he said.
News
ICU holds Greater Accra regional youth, women confab
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) on Friday held the Greater Accra Regional Youth and Women’s Conference to build a strategic network.
The conference which brought together representatives of the Union was a great opportunity for ICU Ghana to make its voice heard on policies that were crucial to the development of the country.
The platform was also used to elect new officers for the Greater Accra Branch of The ICU Ghana to mark its 12th National Quadrennial Conference in August.
The General Secretary of the ICU Ghana, Mr Morgan Ayawine, called on government to assist the two state-owned media organisation, New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of The Spectator and The Ghanaian Times newspapers and Graphic Communication Group Limited (GCGL).
“The two state-owned media played major roles in disseminating government policies, educating, entertaining and informing the public of the happenings in the world,” he added.
He said ICU Ghana would also raise issues about the recapitalisation of the two organisations with the sector minister.
Mr Ayawine disclosed that the ADB and NIB banks were also going through the same ordeal but government intervened and urged government to do same for the two state-owned organisations.
He stressed on equal partnership between unions and employers, saying the capital and labour were crucial to create, produce and generate funds.
The General Secretary advised the various branches of the association to suggest solutions on socio-economic issues such as employment for discussions.
The newly-elected members who were sworn in by the General Secretary, Mr Morgan Ayawine includes Belinda Cochrane-chairman, Eric Ekow Turkson-Vice chairman and Moses Kwaku Otoo-Secretary.
Others were Charles Akomea-Financial Secretary, Charles Biden- Executive Member, Diana Asiedu-Women’s Representative and Samuella A. Brago-Youth Representative.
The chairman of the Greater Accra Branch of the ICU Ghana, Belinda Cochrane thanked the leadership for contributing to the success of the union.
She added that the conference was to prepare for the 12th National Quadrennial Conference and also to take stock of the activities of the branch for the past years and discuss issues on the ground.
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Minister for Health holds emergency stakeholder meeting with principals and directors of Health Training Institutions
In a proactive move to strengthen collaboration within the health sector, the Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has convened an emergency meeting with the Conference of Heads of Health Training Institutions (COHHETI) across the country.
The meeting aimed to deepen engagement between the Ministry and key stakeholders responsible for training health professionals.
The session provided a platform for open dialogue on the challenges facing health training institutions, the quality of healthcare education, and the strategic direction of human resource development in the sector.
Addressing the stakeholders, Mr. Akandoh emphasized the importance of fostering strong and cordial relationships between the Ministry and training institutions to ensure a well-coordinated and responsive healthcare system.
He indicated that the purpose of the meeting was also to collaborate, discuss concerns, and find practical solutions that would benefit not only the institutions but also the Ghanaian people who rely on the healthcare system.
The President of COHHETI, Madam Margaret Mary Alacoque welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and necessary. She raised concerns about transportation challenges, accreditation delays, staffing shortages, and the general conditions and status of service for Health Training Institutions (HTIs). She also shared innovative strategies that some institutions have adopted to improve training outcomes.
In his response, Mr.Akandoh assured participants of the Ministry’s commitment to addressing their concerns and announced plans to enhance coordination and follow-ups.
He added that the Ministry would soon introduce policy reforms aimed at improving standards in health education and ensuring alignment with national health priorities.
These reforms include reducing the cost of admission, implementing automatic code generation for applicants, and clarifying leadership roles within HTIs.
