Day: November 5, 2023

Mrs. Cecilia Ankomah, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Ashaiman Polyclinic’s Wellness Clinic, has encouraged the public to run regular health checks as a way of preventing illnesses. Mrs Ankomah said the wellness clinic was an initiative from the Ghana Health Service to allow people who were not sick to walk into health facilities for medical examinations without going through the Out Patients Department (OPD) procedures. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Team in an interview, she said the wellness clinics also help reduce pressure at the OPDs while providing clients with quick service. She said wellness was aimed at preventive instead of curative, saying that early detection would lead to early treatment for a healthier life. ‘Don’t be sick in bed before seeking treatment; the earlier you detect a sickness and start treatment, the better to get you a higher survival rate,’ she added. The Principal Nursing Officer urged residents of Ashaiman and beyond to take advantage of the wellness clinic to get preventive health instead of always pursuing curative care. She said consultations with the doctor were free for wellness, while medical lab costs would be paid for by the client. She said as part of the wellness package, clients would be checked for liver functioning, kidney function, lipid profile for cholesterol, blood sugar, full blood count, blood grouping, sickle status, hyperthyroidism, and urine testing. Other tests are malaria, eye-visual acuity, ear, nose, and throat; electrocardiography (ECG); breast examination; cervical cancer; prostrate and voluntary HIV tests; and dental care. She indicated that the wellness clinic collaborates with the Family Health Department of the Ashaiman Polyclinic to engage in community education and screening, especially for breast cancer and other illnesses. She added that to whip up interest in preventive health, they also visit religious groupings and identifiable groups to educate people on the need to undertake regular medical checks.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, the Chief Executive officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA),has urged the public to embrace the cylinder recirculation model (CRM) policy to ensure safety and increase access to LPG to 50 percent by 2030. The policy he added would ensure robust and standard health, safety and environmental practices in the production, marketing and consumption of LPG. ‘What we need to know is that the CRM is here to curb our fear of gas being filled close to our homes,’ he said. Dr. Abdul-Hamid gave the advice during the launch of the Consumer Week Celebration in Takoradi in the Western Region on the theme: ‘LPG: Clean Cooking, Healthy Lifestyle’. The Consumer Week Celebration is observed each year by the National Petroleum Authority as part of the Global Consumer Service Week celebration, to educate the public on their rights and responsibilities and how to safely use petroleum products. The NPA Boss said LPG was a cleaner burning fuel that provided smoke-free indoor cooking and helped to reduce outdoor and urban air pollution. ‘LPG produces 50% less carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal, 20% less CO2 than heating oil and 10-12% less CO2 than petrol. Gas (LPG) has been accepted as the most dependable transition fuel, especially in our homes. It provides health, environmental, and economic benefits, especially to our households,’ he said. Unfortunately, Dr. Abdul-Hamid said LPG uptake in the country was low, currently around 37 percent, and needed to be actively promoted. That, he said, implied that a lot more of the consuming public continuously resorted to the age-old charcoal or wood fuel method of cooking despite the enormous benefits of LPG as compared to wood fuel. ‘We also need to commence action on addressing alternative livelihood for families that depend on the charcoal business for their livelihood to curb the onslaught on the already depleting forest cover’, he said. Dr. Abdul-Hamid said the issue of safety had been high on the agenda of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, and that had culminated in the introduction and implementation of the CRM. He noted that the LPG-related accidents in homes were due to lack of adherence to LPG safety precautions and the NPA was equally concerned about the incidents hence the intensification of its public education on the safe use and handling of LPG. The NPA Boss urged bulk storage haulage, retailing and domestic handlers of LPG to observe the LPG safety rules to reduce or possibly eliminate the accidents. In his speech, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr. Andrew Egypa Mercer, said the timing of the promotional and sensitization drive was significant, given the current debate about climate change with its associated environmental and health effects. He said Ghana needed to play a leading role in discouraging any activity that hurts the environment, and affirmed the resolve of the Ministry of Energy to support the NPA and other allied institutions to save the environment. The Western Regional Minister, Dr. Okyere Darko Mensah, urged the public to avoid complacency and familiarity but uphold the safety rules in dealing with LPG and all petroleum-related products.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Leading high definition (HD) satellite broadcast service provider in Ghana, SES HD PLUS has trained over 80 female Prison Officers in its comprehensive installer program. The training formed part of the company’s commitment in making HD quality TV viewing experience accessible to every Ghanaian and creating local employment, whereas ensuring that users have their devices and accompanying satellite equipment professionally installed by accredited installers. Speaking at the training program held at the Prisons Headquarters in Accra, Madam Adelaide Abbiw-Williams, Chief Executive Officer of SES HD Plus thanked the leadership of the Prison service for the partnership to successfully initiate the training. She said SES HD PLUS GH was keen on equipping women with the necessary skills and knowledge to foster greater diversity and excellence in traditionally male-dominated fields. ‘Ladies, I want to commend your dedication and commitment to this groundbreaking satellite installation training, the first of its kind in Ghana. Your presence here is a testament to your resilience and the strength you bring to this field’, she said. DOP Baffoe -Bonnie, Director of Prisons at the Ghana Prisons Service speaking at the event said the initiative would go a long way to boost the confidence of female officers and also provide them with an opportunity to earn income by utilising their personal time. She further encouraged the trainees to stay focused on the training and harness the potential thereof. ‘I thereby encourage very woman present here to grasp every knowledge being imparted into them since it will go a long way to help them not only for today but in the future’. As part of creating a better viewing experience, the company, in May 2023 accomplished the training of 2000 youth in the first half of the year, bringing the total number of trainees to 10,000 since the inception of the HD+ service in Ghana. SES HD Plus Limited believes that empowering locals with professional installer training programs would not only ensure users of the service but also to have access to installer support whiles contributing to the development of broadcasting in Ghana and the economic status of locals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, a losing aspirant in the New Patriotic Party’s presidential primary has asked the rank and file of the Party to unite and give the National Democratic Congress (NDC) a ‘showdown’ in the 2024 General Election. ‘I pledge my support that we are going to work tirelessly ‘to break the eight’, ‘ he said. ‘Breaking the eight’ has become a mantra for the NPP as it seeks to defy the odds surrounding the inability of any of Ghana’s main political parties to go beyond eight years in governance. Mr. Agyapong, addressing the Party’s leadership, activists and losing presidential aspirants, at a handing-over ceremony, in Accra, said the transparency and fairness that characterised the conduct of the primary would translate into victory for the Party in 2024. The ceremony was symbolic as it marked the official declaration of the Vice-President as the presidential candidate-elect for next year’s polls. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in line with the NPP’s tradition officially handed over the mantle of leadership to the flagbearer-elect. ‘We have to come together and give the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a showdown,’ Mr. Agyapong echoed, drawing a deafening applause from the crowd. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central and business tycoon called for unity of purpose. He appealed to the party faithful and losing aspirants to bury their differences, urging them to give the flagbearer-elect the needed backing. Vice-President Alhaji Dr. Bawumia, who was tipped to win, garnered 61.43 per cent of the total valid votes cast to emerge victorious in the presidential primary, with Mr. Agyapong placing second with 37.41 per cent. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso and Minister of Food and Agriculture, polled 0.76 per cent to place third, while Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh took the fourth position with 0.41 per cent. More than 200, 000 delegates participated in the presidential primary, which was supervised by the Electoral Commission.

Source: Ghana News Agency