Editorial
Where is the FDA report?
● Ghana Food and Drugs Authority
There was news recently of suspected food poisoning “Yellow Sisi” food joint at Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region, along with some conflicting reports about the number of people who died after eating at their favourite location.
Amid the chaos, we were told the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) had started investigating the incident. It has been nearly three weeks since the unfortunate incident occurred but we are yet to hear from the FDA.
If I am not mistaken, I believe three weeks is long enough for the Authority to inform the public on whatever could have been the cause of the ‘food poisoning’. The report will not only reduce public speculations but will serve as a guide for other food vendors and the general public.
I believe some people, till date, are hesitant in patronising food sold at public places as they do not know where else there could be another “food poisoning.”
Recently, I saw some FDA officials posting stickers at some food joints as a form of “approval” for vendors that it was safe to patronise. But that alone is not enough as a mere sticker does not guarantee overall food safety.
I wish to remind the FDA to speed up investigation into the “Yellow Sisi” incident and come out with clear regulations on what precautions food vendors and the public must take. We are all interested in the findings and they must produce it as quickly as possible.
George Obeng Osei, Oyibi.
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
