Editorial
Rickety ‘trotro’ operations …a danger to passengers
● A rickety trotro
Moving from one destination to the other requires a means of transportation and since everyone cannot afford a car or a motorcycle, they choose to use public transport such as taxis and buses, especially ‘trotro’.
The trotro carries an average of 15 to 20 people depending on the type of bus and it is quite cheaper and convenient as compared with other means of public transport. The trotro can be very uncomfortable, especially when it is over loaded, but that is what most Ghanaians prefer and they don’t mind being squeezed in the bus.
Although trotro is the preferred means of transport, it is sometimes not safe to use, especially those which are rusty, old and faulty.
As passengers suffer such plights, road users also get their fair share of the cake. Most trotros have their exhaust pipes trailing with thick smoke, thus polluting the environment and endangering road users, especially those who drive right behind them.
Road users are normally advised to have their cars checked if they are road worthy, and it is of no doubt that these cars have not been checked, and even if they have the certificates issued to them, they are either expired or illegal. The police must, therefore, make conscious efforts to check these rickety vehicles. There must be a way to stop these faulty trotros from plying our roads.
Josephine Nyorkor Ntreh.
Student, Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).
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
