Editorial
Pay the school feeding caterers
●Concerns of the caterers should be addressed quickly
Dear Editor,
I am writing to add my voice to the concerns of the School Feeding Caterers who have declared a strike over the delay in payment for services they had rendered.
The caterers, mostly women, have also asked for an increase in the school feeding grant from 0.97 pesewas to 3.5 pesewas but their calls seem to be falling on deaf ears.
I have been listening to some of the caterers early this week and I must say their situation and that of the affected pupils in public basic schools is pathetic.
Clearly, the government is facing financial challenges hence the inability to fulfil its financial obligations to the school feeding service providers. But I believe the situation could be handled carefully so that the caterers do not feel they are being taken for granted.
Considering that the school programme is one of government’s flagship programmes which, among other things, is aimed at increasing enrollment and retaining pupils on schools, the government should be able to prioritise the needs of working within the sector.
Some of the caterers say they owe their suppliers due to the delay in the release of funds, hence their inability to continue serving the pupils. This is a sad commentary on a programme the government takes so much pride in.
I urge the government to take urgent steps to address the challenges as quickly as possible. But if the government, in any case, wants to scrap the programme, then it must be said in plain language and stop playing hide and seek with the caterers.
Paul Kwame Koranteng,
Suhum, Eastern Region
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
