Day: January 16, 2024

Mr Emmanuel Frimpong, a Tourism Consultant, has called on the Tourism Ministry and its agencies to decentralize its programmes and activities to the regions, municipalities, and districts.

This, he said, would allow the regions and assemblies to be involved and begin to see tourism as a business worth investing in, to be able to develop more tourism products and services to attract tourists to localities.

Mr Frimpong, President of African Tourism Research Network, noted that even though domestic tourism was playing its role, the authorities must be intentional about replicating most of their programmes and activities at the lower levels.

‘It must be a coordinated effort where a team must be made responsible to spearhead it and it must be monitored and evaluated to see the impact.’

Speaking with the Ghana News Agency on the success of the tourism sector in 2023 and the expectation for 2024, Mr Frimpong, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Pishon Consult Limited, said 2023 saw some level of improvemen
t over the past few years when COVID-19 was experienced.

He said the sector began to retain its level in 2023 where a lot of events that supported the industry were organized by various stakeholders across the country.

‘Some of such notable events included the presidential summit on tourism, the minister’s stakeholders breakfast meeting, the tourism investment support, the Ghana CARES Obaatampa Programme skills training for frontline industry players, the December in GH events among others.’

Mr Frimpong noted that ‘in short, even though we do not have the data and statistics yet to confirm it, from where we sit, 2023 was a good year for the sector. However, if we are ready to put certain things in place, we would be able to do better in 2024.’

He said Ghana was an expensive destination because of taxes, and imposing more taxes would make us more expensive, ‘So, we must reduce the rate at which we impose taxes and support industry by putting a lot of measures in place to make our natural attractions more c
ompetitive.’

He said in 2024, industry players must also leverage on some of the already existing opportunities that promoted Ghana’s culture, traditions, food, and heritage.

The Tourism Consultant noted that industry players were hoping to see the manifestation of the tourism development plan by the second quarter of the year, saying that, ‘when implemented, it will be a game changer because as a sector, we do not have any official blue print which we are all focusing on to know what to do in the coming years.’

‘Also, customer care and satisfaction are big issues in the industry, we must build the capacity of personnel, know the skills gab, and areas to focus on especially on artificial intelligence, data, digitalization as well as employable skills, and we must be intentional about it.’

Mr Frimpong said the private sector was the engine of growth and it was important to work more closely with the public sector and look at how to collaborate to get the best out of their expertise

‘We must also have a ca
talog of tourism attraction sites and attraction areas in all the regions and districts which must be published, and hardcopies provided at various places where people frequent to have easy access to them.’

Mr Frimpong added that, with 2024 being an election year, industry players must work towards getting more people to come into the country within the first, second and third quarters because of the elections.

‘We look forward to seeing the full implementation of the e-visa or visa on arrival to enable investors come in at all times to grow the economy,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A total of 16,373 cataract surgeries were performed in Ghana in 2023, the National Eye Care Unit, under the Institutional Care Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has disclosed.

This is a 57 per cent increase of 7,000 cataract surgeries conducted in 2022 under the National Cataract Outreach Programme.

A cataract is the clouding of the normally clear lens that sits in the eye behind the pupil.

The only way to remove cataract is through surgery, which is the most performed surgical procedure, compared with any other surgery in medicine.

?It is also one of the safest surgical procedures. It involves swapping out the cloudy natural lens of the eye, or cataract, with a new artificial lens.

Dr Nazif Mohammed, Ophthalmologist, and In-Charge of Data at the Eye Care Unit GHS, speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on behalf of Dr Hornametor Afake, the Head of the Eye Care Unit, said cataract is the leading cause of blindness in Ghana.

Statistics indicate that the most common causes of
blindness include cataract,accounting for 54.8 per cent, Glaucoma 19.4 per cent, Posterior Segment Disease, including Diabetic Retinopathy 12.9 per cent and corneal related causes 11.2 per cent.

Dr Mohammed explained that currently, 0.74 per cent of the population was blind with 1.07 per cent, having visual impairment.

He said eye diseases, including vision impairing (VI) and non-vision impairing conditions (NVIC), affected every age group.

Non-vision impairing conditions, which include refractive errors, conjunctivitis (allergic and infective), lid margin inflammation and watery eyes, can cause discomfort and transient vision disturbance and loss of productivity, he added.

He said unlike cataract, glaucoma damages the eye’s optic nerve permanently beyond repair, adding that blindness from glaucoma could be prevented with early detection and treatment.

People at risk of glaucoma include above age 40, African, Hispanic, or Asian heritage could inherent on the family line, high eye pressure, farsightedness
or nearsightedness, eye injuries, use long-term steroid medications, have corneas that are thin in the centre, thinning of the optic nerve, diabetes, migraines, high blood pressure, and poor blood circulation or other health problems affecting the whole body.

Dr Mohammed said most glaucoma suspects had no symptoms and urged the public to regularly have their eyes examined for early detection.

Research indicates that Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels, damaging the back of the eye (retina). It can cause blindness if left undiagnosed and untreated.

?He said diabetic retinopathy at the initial stages might cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems, but it could lead to blindness.

The condition can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer you have diabetes and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the more likely you are to develop this eye complication, he stated.

The Ophthalmologist advised the public not to live sedentary li
festyles to reduce eye complications due to diabetes.

In recent times more cases of allergic conjunctivitis have been recorded, especially in children, and urged the public to be mindful of this.

Allergic conjunctivitis is an allergic reaction that affects the eye. Although not contagious, this type of eye problem can cause discomfort and aggravation to sufferers.

Allergic conjunctivitis usually affects both eyes. The main symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis include itchy eyes, increased tearing, red or pink eyes, and mild swelling of the eyelids.

Dr Mohammed urged parents to take children who constantly rob their eyes to the hospital as they might be suffering from allergies.

‘Understand that because it is an allergic reaction, the symptoms will not go after one treatment because it could be that the child is not reacting to just one allergy,’ he added.

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He stated that, moving forward, the objective of the Eye Care Unit was to promote and improve eye health prevention through more education and outre
ach to prevent as well as detect early some of the unnecessary eye conditions.

More efforts are being made to manage the conditions, more outreaches embarked on in remote areas, health professionals are being trained to help in this regard and called on the government and non-governmental organisations to assist the unit with the needed resources to improve their activities, he said.

Dr Mohammed urged patients to attend reviews and stick to their treatment plans to improve their eye conditions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A road traffic performance report from the Western Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), reveals that 706 cases of road traffic crashes were recorded in the Region last year.

The report indicates that the total figure recorded in 2023 was the same as that of 2022.

It said while a total of 120 people lost their lives, with 687 getting injured through such crashes between January and December 2023, the records showed that there were 97 fatalities and 652 injuries in 2022.

In all, 474 commercial and 466 private vehicles, 344 motorcycles and tricycles were involved in these road traffic crashes.

The records also showed that 151 persons were knocked down in 2023 compared to 458 commercial and 462 private vehicles, 346 motorcycles and tricycles, and 144 pedestrian knockdowns within the same period in 2022.

The distribution of fatalities by vehicle class revealed that 41 and 36 persons lost their lives by commercial and private vehicles respectively, and 43 through motorcycles and tricy
cles, while 32 died through pedestrian knockdowns.

For injuries, 269 and 196 persons got injured in commercial and private vehicles respectively, 222 through motorcycles/tricycles and 119 through pedestrian knockdowns.

The report also revealed that 18 cases of road traffic crashes, which resulted in three deaths and 16 injuries, were recorded in the Western Region during the Christmas festive season.

The cases were recorded respectively between December 24 and 26, 2023 and December 31, 2023, to January 01, 2024.

Two persons lost their lives and 10 sustained degrees of injuries between December 24 to 26, 2023, while one died and six were injured in the December 31, 2023, to January 01, 2024, accidents respectively.

A total of seven and eight commercial and private vehicles respectively, and five motorcycles and tricycles were involved in these road traffic crashes while, two persons were knocked down between December 24 and 26, 2023.

Between December 31, 2023, and January 01, 2024, accidents involving fi
ve commercial, five private vehicles, three motorcycles and tricycles are recorded to have been involved in road crashes, while two persons have been knocked down.

Mr Victor Kojo Bilson, the Western Regional Head of the NRSA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, encouraged road users to continue to abide by the road safety rules and regulations, to ensure best practices and help reduce crashes and related incidents on the roads.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A U.S.-owned commercial vessel was hit Monday by a missile, fired by the Houthis from the areas in Yemen, controlled by the militant group, the U.S. military said.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), in a post on X, identified the ship as M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated container ship.’The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage’ as a result of the attack at approximately 4 p.m. Sanaa Time, CENTCOM said, adding the ship was continuing its journey despite having been struck.

The command also said about two hours prior to the aforementioned missile strike, ‘U.S. Forces detected an anti-ship ballistic missile fired toward the Southern Red Sea commercial shipping lanes.’ ‘The missile failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen. There were no injuries or damage reported,’ it said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has presented four brand new cars to managers of the Scheme in four districts of the Volta Region.

These are Agotime-Ziope, South Dayi, Ketu North and Kpando.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, received the keys to the NHIA branded vehicles and handed them over to the managers of the Scheme in the four districts.

Dr Okoe Boye said the aim was to improve the scheme’s functionality and make it easier for the staff in those districts to provide timely and quality services.

He asked the management of the districts to make sure the cars were properly maintained and used for the intended purposes.

Dr Letsa commended the CEO for the gesture and expressed optimism that the vehicles would facilitate the daily tasks of the districts.

He promised that his office would support the NHIA to successfully execute its mandate for the benefit of the people.

Madam Joyce Adzoa Todze, the Kpando Dis
trict Manager of the Scheme, expressed appreciation to the Government for the support.

She told the Ghana News Agency that the vehicle would help in community monitoring and mobilisation to register more people onto the Scheme.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Sulemanu Koney, the CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, has commended the Management of Nguvu Mining Limited and Adamus Resources Limited for investing in technology to help achieve its 120,000 ounces per annum target.

He said there was no doubt that this diesel electronic drive had become a benchmark in the 100-ton class for off-highway mining trucks, showcasing top performance, maximizing uptime and low operational cost.

Mr Koney made the commendation at the launch of over a dozen Liebeherr brand of haulage trucks at the company’s site at Esiama in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region.

The symbolic key to the trucks was jointly presented to the CEO of Nguuvu Mining Limited, Madam Angela List by the Executive Vice President of Liebherr Mining, Dr Jörg Lukowski and Member of the Administrative Board of Liebherr International, Madam Sophie Albrecht.

The trucks are in a bid to boost its production capacity, Ghana’s wholly Ghanaian-owned mining giant, Adamus Resources Limited, with financial supp
ort from its parent company, Nguvu Mining Limited.

The acquisition of the haulage trucks to augment the company’s existing heavy-duty equipment forms part of Adamus Mining’s expansion drive towards its planned aggressive exploration programme.

The truck boasts of a design that is embedded with safety considerations for maintenance technicians and onlookers by eliminating various hazards.

Its commitment to the comfort of operators has been well considered with an ergonomic cabin to promote driver efficiency and enhanced superior performance.

‘We believe that their robust design and advanced technology will undoubtedly contribute to increased operational efficiency at Adamus Mining and further set a new standard for the mining industry in Ghana,’ Mr Koney added.

He said, ‘The Liebherr 100t T236 trucks are no exception. I am confident that their integration into Adamus Mining Resources operations will reduce downtime with low cost and improve overall performance.’

Dr. Jörg Lukowski, the Executive Vice Pres
ident of Liebherr Mining commended the management of NGUVU Mining for their trust in them, assuring them that Liebherr would work hard to deliver on its promises in terms of training and after-sales services.

Madam Angela List, the CEO of Nguvu Mining Limited, said her company’s partnership with Liebherr had provided them with an excellent result in terms of top-quality mining equipment, with the latest being the first of its kind in Ghana.

She said looking at various specifications of equipment, the T236, an electric truck with the superior after-sales service and training that Liebherr offers was a huge step for the group.

She said the trucks would help accelerate the movement of the ore from the ground to the processing plant.

Madam Angela List said the company believed in quality human resources and had trained people from scratch, especially the community members who had no skills at all including women.

The CEO, who is committed to gender balance expressed joy about female employees, who had no ski
lls in driving, and started with the company as cleaners but were trained to become qualified operators.

These women displayed their skills with the trucks after the launch.

She said most of the female operators were extremely competent and committed to safety, adding that she wanted to see more women excelling in the male-dominated fields of the company.

Madam List said there was a cordial relationship with the host communities because community members had recognized that Adamus’ interest went beyond personal gains.

She said the company had the entire community, the various chiefdoms and all the people of Nzema land at heart.

The CEO said their doors were always opened to them for dialogue, discussions of progress, and implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives, while efforts were made to employ more locals to make life easy for them.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli lll, the President of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, lauded the Company for its contributions to the mining industry
and the communities in their operational areas.

While pledging the support of traditional authorities for mining activities, he said some people were only against community mining due to environmental challenges such as the degradation of forests and the pollution of water bodies.

Awulae Amihere Kpanyinli said traditional authorities support sustainable and eco-friendly community mining for the protection of the environment for future generations.

Source: Ghana News Agency