Editorial
Working together in parliament
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that in view of the outcome of the parliamentary results, there is the need for the two major political parties in Ghana (NPP and the NDC) to work together.
Whether NDC or NPP, working together in the interest of the nation is necessary to ensure that national interest is guaranteed. Collaboration or togetherness in deliberations will not mean that they should all agree on the same issue, but rather pursue national interest and bury their differences in parliament to ensure that the supreme interest of the nation is promoted at all times.
Collaborating with each other in parliamentary duties is necessary for the promotion of socio-economic development. What this means is that both sides of the political divide in parliament, that is, the Majority and the Minority, are there to pursue the interest of the country.
In doing this, they will have to agree and disagree on various issues but this must be done in the spirit of party togetherness so that needless waste of time and prolonged arguments can be avoided. This is what the country needs now.
Unity is therefore, paramount in the interest of the nation.
This is because both the Majority and Minority have a common agenda to pursue. That agenda, is to promote the interest of Ghana and its people.
If the two sides in parliament collaborate with each other, approval of policies can be carried out faster or timeously. When this happens, it is the nation as a whole that gains.
The impression has been created over the years that parliamentarians become vociferous when they are pursuing the interest of their respective political parties but when it comes to financial gains pertaining to themselves, they become unified and more cooperative.
This is always the case when it comes to issues such as discussion of their ex-gratia or matters that affect their own interest and welfare.
This perception ought to be eroded through active collaboration of all parliamentarians irrespective of whether the person belongs to either the Majority or Minority. What matters most is the national interest: Period!
The President is expected to appoint majority of his ministers from parliament in line with the requirements of the constitution. In view of this, the Executive may be crippled in a way since from time to time, these ministers will have to stay and work in their offices. Staying and working in their offices will mean that they will not always be present to deliberate on parliamentary matters.
In spite of this, and in the supreme interest of the nation, The Spectator urges both the Majority and the Minority to collaborate with each other in order to set a sound agenda for the entire country.
If this is done, the entire country will be the winner.
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
