Connect with us

Hot!

Stop stigmatisation of COVID-19 victims…Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo.

In the Kwaiebibirim Constituency, some residents have suspected a man who had returned into the country to with the COVID-19 virus have called on the chiefs and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to evacuate the man, from the community stating that they would not stay in the area with him.    

Such incidents and stigmatisation of such persons has caused emotional trauma among people with the virus leading to some refusing to attend hospitals when they have the symptoms.

 The COVID-19 pandemic did not only cause havoc in the country but had also led to people stigmatising others who contracted the virus whether recovered or not, or have returned from one of the countries that have been hard hit by the virus.

In an exclusive interview with the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North Constituency, Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo, on the issue, she urged the public to stop stigmatisation of coronavirus patients and rather show a sense of love and care towards them, adding that, more education was needed on the pandemic.

Advertisement

According to the MP who is also Deputy Minister for Education in charge of TVET a lot of people have less education on how a person can be infected.

She said there was no need to stigmatise coronavirus patients or people suspected to have the virus since it was not a disease that kills instantly.

“Even though the virus has no known cure for it, a lot of people have recovered. The fact that someone has contracted the virus does not mean his end has come.”

Mrs Twum-Ampofo noted that, rather than stigmatise them, people should show care and love, adding, “It would motivate others to quickly visit the hospital or go”. to the testing centres if they have acquired the virus,” 

Advertisement

She lamented that because of stigmatisation, people were not going to the hospital to even find out if they have the virus when they see signs and symptoms of the virus in them, and reiterated the need to stop the stigmatisation and treat them well, adding anybody could be a victim.

“Once a person has been declared recovered by the Ghana Health Service, it means the person has truly recovered considering the number of tests that would have been done,” she said.

Mrs Twum-Ampofo revealed that, according to GHS statistics about 494 patients have recovered as at May 12, 2020, adding that, those who have died were said to have underlining health issues.

“Those who have recovered are not harmful as those of us who have not yet checked to know our status,” she stated, and called on the citizenry to have sympathy for such people and rather show them love in this era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advertisement

She also called on the public to ensure that, they observed all safety protocols including proper handwashing, social distancing, respiratory hygiene among others to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Hot!

NHIA set to boost its cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in partnership with a leading private cybersecurity solutions provider in Ghana, CyberHawk Limited, is advancing the Authority’s digital infrastructure to ensure seamless operations.

This is to safeguard the Authority’s digital technologies and maintain the trust of active members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

In this context, the NHIA Management Information System (MIS) Directorate in the Head Office, on February 11, 2024, launched a three-day brainstorming session on the organization’s cybersecurity enhancement agenda.

The MIS Directorate Ag. Director, Mr. Daniel Blankson explained that the collaborative meeting aimed to scrutinize the NHIA’s Information Technology architecture, identifying potential risks and gapsto enhance its cybersecurity posture. 

“By leveraging CyberHawk Limited’s expertise, the NHIA seeks to fortify its defenses against cyber threats, protecting sensitive information and maintaining the trust of its members.”

Advertisement

Mr. Blankson applauded the synergy between the two organizations and underscored the Authority’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions to drive its mission forward.

The Head of Information Security and Standards Unit, in the MIS Directorate, Mr. Ebenezer Hooper, highlighted the Authority’s significant milestone on the digital transformation journey.

According to him, the NHIA is actively engaged in fully adopting and implementing modern digital systems to improve its operations.

He said, “The three-day brainstorming meeting will culminate in the development of a robust IT infrastructure, as well as strategic plans to translate security implementations into tangible IT cost savings for the organization.”

Advertisement

“There is the need to form a steering committee or IT advisory committee, operated under the Board, so that they can pay more attention in protecting the huge IT investment while ensuring cyber security-related policies are well protected,” he added.

The Project Manager of CyberHawk Limited, Mr. Chetan Narayana Murthy, lauded the collaboration and anticipated that it would empower the NHIA to implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures.

According to him, “This is a huge project that will greatly benefit the NHIA by implementing robust cybersecurity measures, safeguarding their systems, and ultimately protecting the sensitive information of NHIA members and healthcare providers.”

A Senior Manager of IT infrastructure, Mr. David Asare Addo, and his colleague, a Senior Manager of Applications, Mr. Enock Afanyi, with the MIS Directorate, gave an overview of the NHIA’s current technological landscape.

Advertisement

Present at the meeting were representatives from the Claims, Membership and Regional Operations (MRO), Research, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RPME), Corporate Affairs, the Audit, Administration, and Human Resource Directorates.

Story By : Vivian Arthur

Continue Reading

Hot!

Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal

Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.


Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.

Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.

Here are the results in Zone Two

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending