News
Philanthropist supports 700 people to get NHIS card
A philanthropist, Mr Mickydary Yakubu has financed over 700 Ghanaians to obtain the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card at a total cost of GHC 28.320.00.
The cost included the registration fee, transportation fare from their localities to where the NHIS cards were issued, and hotel accommodation.
The beneficiaries are from Jamasi in the Ashanti Region, Zaagum, Yuga, Yakura, in the North East Region, and Douri in the Upper East Region respectively.
Mr Mickydary Yakubu who is also the Founder of Maloa Foundation, Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), which assisted the poor people during the COVID-19 lock down, said he was moved to go to the aid of people who were living in poverty and could not afford the cost involved to obtain the NHIS card.
He said despite its immense benefits, there were many people who could not afford the means to obtain the NHIS card.
Mr Yakubu explained that since the NHIS issuing centres were not located in the towns where the beneficiaries lived, it became difficult for these people who were mostly peasant farmers to obtain the card from their own resources.
He said, ” I always want to put smiles on the faces of people who naturally would not have the means to repay for the services received.”
Mr Yakubu said there was nothing more refreshing than to reach out to the less privileged in society.
He said people should not be self-centered, but try to think about the welfare of others in dire need of vital support to make life more meaningful.
Mr Yakubu said he started the project to prepare NHIS cards for people in 2016 and was still poised to continue to lend his support to the vulnerable.
He intimated that he had planned a mammoth blood donation exercise to be held at Hohoe in the Volta Region to support the National Blood Bank.
Mr Yakubu said his objective was to help cultivate the habit in the citizens to willingly donate blood to save lives.
By Raymond Kyekye
News
GFP founder Akua Donkor passes on
Akua Donkor
The founder and leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Madam Akua Donkor, has passed away.
She died at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital on Monday, October 28 at 72.
Reports gathered by The Spectator indicated that she was diagnosed with respiratory issues at the Nsawam Government Hospital and was referred to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital where she died.
Known for her spirited presence in Ghanaian politics, Akua Donkor was a staunch advocate for the rights of farmers and women.
Her bold and outspoken demeanour enabled her to capture public attention and significantly impact the grassroots communities she aimed to represent.
Throughout her political journey, she distinguished herself by running for the presidency multiple ti mes, demonstrating remarkable resilience despite financial challenges.
Akua Donkor was listed as the third candidate on the ballot for the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Her political career began with her election as the Assemblywoman for Herman in the Ashanti region, and she made her first bid for the presidency in 2012 as an independent candidate.
She was, however, disqualified by the Electoral Commission in 2012 and 2016 for the reason that she did not meet the eligibility requirements.
News
Stop using breast enhancing creams …they expose females to breast cancer
Mrs Enyonam Abiti making a presentation
Women have been cautioned to stop using of breast enhancing creams which is said to contain estrogen, predisposing them to the breast cancer disease.
Using such creams over time increases estrogen levels in patrons of such products thereby exposing them to the disease.
Estrogen is a type of sex hormone responsible for development and regulation of female reproductive system and secondary sex chart.
Mrs Enyonam Abiti, a medical officer at Madina Pentecost Hospital, said this at a day’s seminar and breast cancer awareness creation day at Sunyani in the Bono Region.
The programme, organised by the Bono Regional office of COCOBOD, forms part of activities to mark this year’s World Breast Cancer Day celebrations held every year in October.
Some staff of COCOBOD and women in cocoa farming used the opportunity to have their breast screened.
Mrs Abiti during a presentation revealed that one in every eight women was diagnosed of breast cancer while 1 from 1,000 men contract the disease.
She noted that early detection and regular screening was the surest way to salvage the situation.
She mentioned that habits such as excessive smoking and alcohol intake predisposes women to breast cancer.
Moreover, she added that people advanced in age, past history, past ovarian cancer case as well as young girls that menstruate early, among others stands the risk of contracting the disease.
The Bono Regional Administrator of COCOBOD, Michael Paddy Kwesi Asumanu, stated that the decision to organise the breast screening was to ensure that women in cocoa farming were healthy at all times to go about their farming activities in order to increase productivity.
“We don’t want a situation where our women in cocoa farming are infected with breast cancer disease to jeopardise the cocoa sector,” he said.
According him, the Regional Office of COCOBOD in partnership with the Bono Regional Teaching hospital would organised screening for about 4,000 women on October 31, 2024 at Goaso in the Ahafo Region.
The move, he said, was part of their corporate social responsibility towards women as the world mark breast cancer awareness creation this month.
Some of the women who spoke to The Spectator commended COCOBOD for the gesture and called on other institutions of state to emulate the example.
The organisers later held a float on the principal streets of Sunyani to create awareness on the breast cancer disease.
From Daniel Dzirasah, Sunyani