Editorial
Tackling the plastic waste menace at Ghana’s beaches
A section of the shore being filled with filt
Dear Editor,
Ghanaians love the beach, and for good reason. Whether it is lounging in the sun, swimming in the ocean, or appreciating the scen¬ery, there is something for everyone at the beach.
Unfortunately, many of the beaches in Ghana are not as clean and well-maintained as they should.
This letter seeks to look at why some of the beaches are in such a sorry state, and what can be done to bring cleanliness and harmony to our shores.
Many Ghanaians flock to the beach during festive seasons and holidays. However, despite the many visitors, our beaches are full of plastic waste and other forms of uncollected garbage.
This hardly denotes respect for Mother Nature, as the waste and pollution endangers marine life; something Ghana, as a country should be protecting.
Furthermore, these forms of pollution are not pretty to behold and can cause health hazards for people who swim, relax or sunbathe on the beach.
However, some beaches are kept clean and well-maintained. Some of the cleanest beaches in Ghana include La Beach, Coco Beach, and Bojo Beach.
The La Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Ghana, and it is known for its cleanliness and orderliness. Coco Beach is also a great place to visit for its clean sand, well-kept facilities, and organised management.
And, for an exclusive experience, Bojo Beach has one of the cleanest beaches and is often preferred over other beaches. It is a private beach that is accessible only on boats, which helps to keep it less crowded and more closely monitored.
To maintain a clean and better future, individuals should also take responsibility to keep our environment clean.
However, there is much more that needs to be done than just individual responsibility. Businesses, public or¬ganisations, and government entities need to work together to keep our beaches well-maintained.
Regular clean-up campaigns, recycling programmes, and conservation efforts can address the pollution and waste on the beaches.
There is also an urgent need for the creation and enforcement of more regulatory policies to govern sanitation at the beach.
Ghana’s beaches are valuable resources that must be preserved and maintained for generations to come.
By advocating for the cleanliness of our beaches, we can create a better future for ourselves and the environ¬ment. Let us work together and take individual responsibility to properly dispose of garbage and promote envi¬ronmental conservation practices.
While at it, individuals can also visit the clean beaches such as La Beach, Coco Beach, and Bojo Beach which have already exemplified such environmental conservation practices in their structure and management.
Fauzia Abdullai
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
