Day: April 22, 2024

Assemblyman urges BECE candidates to catch-up on lost time


Mr William Kwaku Chamamim, the Assemblyman for Nkwanta West electoral area in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region has urged candidates preparing for their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to take their lessons seriously as the time approaches.

Mr Chamamin, who is also the head teacher of Nkwanta M/A Basic School in view of the recent conflict in the Nkwanta South Municipality, to catch up on the lost time.

He has pledged to ensure that the education of the final year Junior High School pupils was not disrupted further.

He, however, has organised vacation classes for the candidates within Nkwanta township to help them catch up with the academic syllabus, which was interrupted by the ethnic conflict in the area.

The classes held at Nkwanta M/A JHS ‘A’ school premises are free and open to all BECE candidates in the area.

Mr Chamamin said the volunteer teachers and educationists have availed themselves to provide extra support and guidance to the pupils.

He continued that the init
iative has been well-received by both parents and the students as well, because the turnout was encouraging even despite the security challenges they are facing in the area.

The Assemblyman cum Headteacher remains committed to supporting the education of the students in the area and ensuring that they have the necessary resources needed to excel in their final exams.

He, however, urged parents to provide their wards with the necessary learning materials during the period to ensure candidates adequately prepared for their final exams.

‘I hope that these holiday classes will not only help the students perform well in the upcoming examination but also instill in them the love for learning and determination to succeed.

Some of the students expressed their profound gratitude to the Assemblyman for providing them with opportunity to enhance their learning skills.

They finally promised to make good use of the classes in their final exams.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Academic curriculum must reflect industry needs – Stanbic Bank CEO


Mr Kwamina Asomaning, Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, has advised that the country’s academic curriculum be designed to meet the needs of industry players.

Mr Asomaning underscored the importance of ensuring that the curriculum was in line with the needs of industry players to ensure that students were equipped to make positive contributions in the professional space.

The Chief Executive made the call at the launch of Academics, Business and Administration Forum (ABAF) in Accra.

‘At Stanbic Bank, we currently collaborate with some American universities to address industry needs.

‘They send their students to us to elicit key challenges that need solutions. These are then factored into the training that the schools offer their students.

‘The projects address specific business or management issues with the students assigned to projects based on their interests, qualifications, and experience,’ he said.

He said ‘while the students gained invaluable practical international experience, we received high
-quality professional consulting services under faculty supervision. Is it possible for academia in Ghana to adopt such an initiative?’

Mr Asomaning commended the organisers for the initiative and encouraged them in their efforts to raise future-ready students.

‘I want to emphasise the importance of involving students and youth in our discussions. They are the innovators of our country, and their voices and perspectives are invaluable. Let’s create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and contribute to our collective effort.’

Stanbic Bank over the years has shown support to academia through various initiatives.

Last year, the Bank donated 50 laptops to the University of Ghana in support of the Vice Chancellor’s ‘One Student One Laptop’ initiative.

The Bank collaborated with the ‘Women in STEM Ghana’ to train, equip and inspire 200 girls from 23 senior high schools to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Many other educational institutions ha
ve benefited from the Bank’s STEM-focused interventions, including KNUST, Takoradi

Technical University, Sunyani School of Professional Studies, and the Blessed Holy Child Academy.

ABAF is a platform dedicated to the promotion of synergies between academia and industry for effective development.

Source: Ghana News Agency

More than 3 million people in the country live with mental health conditions-Coalition


Studies have confirmed more than three million people nationwide living with various mental health conditions, the Coalition of NGOs in Health has said.

The coalition said the rising cases of mental health were worrying and alarming, and therefore called on all stakeholders to pool ideas and resources together and help bring the situation under control.

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chairman of the Bono Regional chapter of the Coalition who made the call urged the government to prioritise mental health, identify and tackle the immediate and remote causes contributing to the surge in mental health conditions.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Ahenu said most of the mental health conditions could be partly attributed to emotional problems emanating from marriages, broken homes, extreme poverty, and sexual exploitation and abuse.

He was speaking to the GNA after the coalition held its first quarter meeting for the year and to discuss pertinent issues in the health sector in the
region, saying ‘inwardly many people are going through emotional trauma.’

Mr Ahenu said proactive measures ought to be put in place to arrest the rise in substance abuse among the youth, saying, if nothing was done, many of the youth would become lunatics.

He also expressed worry about the soaring cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and attendant deaths at major health facilities, saying studies showed NCDs contributed about 43 percent of deaths nationwide.

Mr Ahenu said cases of diabetes and hypertension were high due to poor eating habits, lack of regular exercises and unhealthy lifestyles of many Ghanaians and encouraged everybody to do regular medical checkups to know their health condition.

He said the coalition planned to undertake health outreach exercises to intensify public awareness creation on substance abuse, alcoholism, and called for support from the Ghana Health Service and civil society organisations to achieve useful outcomes.

Mr Ahenu said maternal and child mortality remained ano
ther daunting challenge in the country that required urgent attention to help the nation to the goal three of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The global goal three enjoins nations around the globe to put in place measures for enhanced good health and wellbeing for all by 2030.

Mr Ahenu therefore, advised pregnant women to attend regular antenatal and post-natal clinics and endeavour to give birth at health facilities.

He said the coalition in the region had set up projects and funding raising committees to mobilize funds for its activities in the health sectors and called for support from corporate bodies, religious organisations and wealthy individuals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Toddler mauled by dog undergoes successful plastic surgery


A two-year-old boy mauled by a dog in Accra has undergone a successful surgery, Dr. Hope Glover Addy, a Pediatric Surgeon, Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital, told the Ghana News Agency on Monday.

Dr. Addy said plastic surgery had been performed at the anus, the affected part, and the stool diverted to the abdomen to allow for smooth passage.

The two-year old boy was attacked by a mixed shepherd breed dog last Monday night and got part of his anus and the flesh around that area as well as the private part chopped off, leaving the toddler in critical condition.

The mother had left him in a baby court to use the washroom when the incident happened.

Dr. Addy said despite the success of the first surgery, chances of survival of the toddler would depend on the final surgery, which was yet to be performed.

He said: ‘The boy is injured, part of the anus and the skin around the place have been chopped off so, we have diverted the stool from the anus to the abdomen.

‘If the place clears up, we will remove the plastic s
urgery to see what we can do, whether to patch up the raw area, then after that we can think of subsequent surgeries… bringing another vault back to the anus.

‘If he does not get any overwhelming infection, the place will heal normally…and with the anus, there are some muscles that enable one to control the passage of stools. If we test again and we realise that the muscles are not working very well , it means the child may not be able to control the amount of stool that would come out of the anus so he will just be walking and the stool will just be coming out, unless we find out other procedures to help him not to soil himself,’ he explained.

The paediatric surgeon said the injuries were severe, requiring intensive treatment, with significant financial burden on the parents.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Bliss GVS Pharma donates antimalarial drugs to Tamale West Hospital


The Tamale West Hospital has taken delivery of quantities of antimalarial drugs to boost health care delivery for patients at the facility.

The drugs, estimated at GHc182,000.00, included Lonart, P-Alaxin, and GSUNATE amongst others.

Bliss GVS Pharma, a drugs’ manufacturer, donated the drugs to the Tamale West Hospital.

Mr Ibrahim Mumuni Seidu, Medical Representative of Bliss GVS Pharma, who handed over the drugs to the authorities of the Tamale West Hospital in Tamale, said the gesture was to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day as well as help in the fight against the disease in the country.

Mr Seidu said, ‘Bliss GVS Pharma is committed to improving the quality of lives of the people in the places where we serve and do business. We annually do this donation during the World Malaria Day to hospitals around the country.’

He added that ‘This is an effort from Bliss GVS Pharma to try to eradicate malaria from Ghana and the world at large because we understand the impact malaria has on people’s lives.
This donation will provide much needed treatment to people who visit this facility and other places.’

Dr Billah Bagamsah, Head of Pharmacy, Tamale Central Hospital, who received the drugs, expressed gratitude to the company for the gesture, saying the drugs had come at the right time to ensure quality health care delivery to the people.

He said, ‘Malaria is among the top three mortalities in the hospital. So, this donation will really go a long way to curb or to reduce the incidence of malaria in the hospital.’

He added that ‘Pregnant women and children under five years are the most vulnerable groups. So, we’ll be targeting them. If you check our OPD attendance, currently, as the rain has started, the OPD attendance for malaria is increasing and with these products, it will help the hospital treat this illness.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

NCCE launches 2024 Annual Constitution Week in Kumasi


The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has launched the 2024 Constitution Week in Kumasi with a call on Ghanaians to embrace peace ahead of the 2024 general elections.

The event, which was held at the Asafo Palace, was attended by representatives and head of security agencies including the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, and the Ghana Prisons Service.

The year’s celebration is on the theme: ‘Together We Can Build Ghana So Get Involved.’

Madam Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of the Commission, said the annual celebration of the Constitution Week sought to engage Ghanaians on peace, civic responsibilities, rights of citizens, accountability on the part of the government, and the importance of being abreast with the contents of the 1992 Constitution.

She said Ghanaians owed it a great duty to contribute to nation building together with the Government that had been entrusted with the people’s mandate to rule.

‘The Constitution Week is a flagship programme
through, which we remind all Ghanaians about how far the 1992 constitution has brought us as far as the Fourth Republic is concerned,’ she stated.

Madam Addy commended Ghanaians for embracing and nurturing democracy since the country returned to constitutional rule 30 years ago, adding that ‘our tolerance and peaceful coexistence had earned Ghana the accolade of being the beacon of hope on the African continent.

The country’s ability to successfully elect and change leaders in the sub-region where coup d’etat is rife is worth applauding,’ she said.

Madam Addy said the NCCE was committed to educating the public on their civic responsibilities to contribute to sustainable development of the country.

She said giving the history of overthrowing democratically elected governments prior to the 1992 Constitution, the framers recommended the establishment of the NCCE to educate Ghanaians to understand and commit to defending the Constitution.

Nana Asafo Boakye Agyemang Bonsu II, the Asafohene, who was the guest
of honour, commended the NCCE for its continuous education of Ghanaians to uphold democracy and peace.

He hailed the Commission for working closely with chiefs in the execution of its mandate since its establishment in 1992, saying that it was the way to go to make the needed impact.

The chief encouraged Ghanaians to use the 2024 elections to demonstrate to the world that Ghana was indeed the beacon of hope in Africa.

He called on the Government and philanthropists to help resource the Commission to deliver on its mandate.

Source: Ghana News Agency