News
Public health officers must be compassionate in caring for the sick
Professor Stephen Alder, the President of Ensign Global College at Kpong, has urged public health officers to be compassionate when caring for the sick.
Prof. Alder, who was addressing the college’s 10th anniversary and ninth graduation ceremony, said, “We have to remember that these are human beings that are being affected by these issues, and we have to be compassionate in our care and protection for their health as well.”
The programme which saw 28 public health students graduating, was on the theme “Celebrating a Decade of Educating Professional and Entrepreneurial Leaders for Prosperity.”
He said public health was a big field that covered so many areas of human lives, including the cholera outbreak, counterfeit medications and expired food consumption.
“We have watched with concern as cases of cholera have been detected in Ghana. We’ve watched and seen the issues related to not only expired food but counterfeit medications, all sorts of things that are going to undermine efforts to keep people healthy and well.”
He said when these issues were seen, it meant that something had slipped through, and they had to figure out why it occurred and correct that for the future.
Prof. Alder said to ensure that public health practitioners provided professional care to the public, the private-owned health training college was committed to working the training of highly competent professionals, who were going to protect the public’s health, help with the regulatory bodies, and the health system.
Dr Lynette Gay, the Founder and Board Chairman of Ensign Global College, said she identified that there was need for a change in the health of the community, home, and families, as good health began from the home.
She said it was this awareness that informed the establishment of the college to train professionals to provide effective care and protection right from the family, stressing that “We hate to see people go to the hospitals at the last resort if they can address their health needs within their own knowledge in their home.”
She encouraged the public health officials to have community involvement, go beyond their imagination, and not to stop themselves from impacting positively on the health of the communities.
Ensign Global College was established in 2014 by Dr Mrs Lynette Gay, and Mr Bob Gay in fulfilment of their desire and passion to transform public health education in West Africa with the aim of improving the quality of life among West Africans through scholarship for a robust healthcare system.
News
Craze for x’mas shopping: Crowded markets, low patronage
Vendors of food and other wares associated with the Christmas celebration have expressed surprise at the low patronage despite the increased number of visitors to some of the major markets across the capital.
Four days to the celebration(Christmas), the markets are filled with various products ranging from food, clothing, livestock and many other stuff, but according to the vendors, patrons are doing more ‘window’ shopping.
The Spectator on visits to some of the markets in the capital, notably the Odawna, Makola, Accra Central Business District, New Town and others made similar observations as shoppers crowd them but did little in terms of purchases.
The paper also observed that majority of vendors, originally selling other wares have switched to product related to the festive season.
What it means is that there are a lot more clothes, food and vegetables, livestock and poultry, toys, firecrackers, drinks of different types and many others on display.
The markets have also stretched to the pedestrian pavement, leaving very narrow spaces for commuters to move about freely.
That, in addition to a few of the female vendors dressed in coloured attires to reflect the occasion, has heightened the euphoria, leaving the low sales as the only headache for the vendors.
Speaking with this paper, they sounded very optimistic, believing that sales would improve in the last few days to the yuletide.
According to them, there was the opportunity to sell beyond Christmas as the New Year celebration offers similar opportunity to trade the same wares.
They urged patrons to throng the markets to shop since prices were quite moderate and products affordable for all.
News
Retirement service for Elder John Ackom-Asante,3 others
Retired Deputy Editor of The Spectator, Elder John Ackom-Asante, was last Sunday honoured by the Church of Pentecost Windy Hills District in Kasoa in the Central Region, with a retirement thanksgiving service, after serving for 26 year as an Elder of the church.
He was honoured with a citation and certificate of service along with three other elders who served in the capacity for various years.
Elder Ackom-Asante was baptised at the Darkuman Central Assembly in 1979 and ordained as an Elder in 1997.
The citation read “Your selfless service, zeal, willingness to relate wholeheartedly and your desire to effect change has gone a long way to shape the lives of many people in the church and the nation over the 26 years of your dedication to the service of the Lord.”
Elder Ackom- Asante held many positions at the Darkuman Central Assembly, Obuasi in the Ashanti Region and Tema, serving in various capacities as youth and evangelism ministry leader and marriage counsellor.
He was the founding member of the Darkuman Christian Fellowship, a member of the Greater Accra Christian Fellowship; member of Bible Society of Ghana; founding member Obuasi Chapter Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship International and founding member of New Times Corporation Christian Fellowship and Chaplain, Methodist University Tema Campus 2009- 2010.
As a professional journalist, Elder Ackom-Asante combined effectively and efficiently his duty as a member and elder of the church and the demands of his profession, with admiration from the church, kith and kin, till his retirement on December
From Alhaji Salifu Abdul-Rahaman, Kasoa
