The time was around 12:40 pm with the sun shine at it's strength when I took a taxi from the region hospital to sunyani township. On board the taxi was a young lady in her twenties in a green uniform with white collar and you do not need anyone  to tell you she is a Nurse. Good afternoon lady was my initial conversation with her and I asked of how the induction went. She is a rotational Nurse from Holy Family hospital, Techiman.The Gh200.00 was for a medal,  take away and probably the chairs and the public address system used which put together should not exceed Gh50, what was the remaining money used for ? Probity, accountability and transparency is key from duty bearers. She has worked for 8 months without their monthly allowance. She is expected to show up at work at all time wether she has eaten or not, she is expected to pay her own medical bills in case she falls sick during the course of duty, she has to rent a house and still depend on her parents after completion of school. My search reveals that this Young Nurse is not the only one with this challenge across the country. There are myriads of challenges that the young NURSE/ MIDWIFE is confronted with today in the course of their duties. The expectation of clients on the NURSE/ MIDWIFE is so high that these professionals have to meet the high demands and pressure of taking care of their patients at the expense of their health and very life. My one-one interview with most of them only gave credence and validated this assertion. Various Human Resource Departments across hospitals in Ghana have NEGLECTED their duties of making sure that these young professionals have their biometric registration done which means that they have being processed to receive their monthly allowance due them legally, it is suprising and shocking that after 8 months of work many have not even done their biometric registration?  The young professionals have to come to work on empty stomach, and for the vulnerable young ladies, unsrupulous men are taking advantage of their financial situations to unduely abuse them. These young ones have to be left to their fate to be travelling from various points of the country to COUNTROLLER & ACCOUNTANT GENERAL'S office in order to be validated for their unpaid allowance arrears. This is very unfortunate and an affront on their fundamental rights to earn rightful salary at the end of the month. Many of these professionals have to live on borrowed money from family and friends. They are in uniforms everyday yet they are bleeding internally. The NURSING & MIDWIFERY Leadership across the country have alsoafailed to fight for their young ones, the time to  to rise and speak for these vulnerable young professional is now or never, the minister of health is hereby called upon as a matter of urgency to make sure these perinnial problem of unpaid salaries and allowances for these professionals are solved in order to have a motivated workforce for good health outcome. It is never possible to receive  quality health care from hungry nurses/ midwives who can not even have a square meal a day. Institutions must work efficiently and government must also intervene in order to take itself from this blame. It is a great shame on the entire Nursing & Midwifery Fraternity across the nation to leave these upcoming feeble professionals to fight on their own. Immorality and begging has become a common phenomenon as a result of the aforementioned challenge. The earlier this issue is addressed, the better for us all in Ghana since NURSES/ MIDWIVES forms over 50% of the health workforce across the world. 

   In the midst of all these hardships, these young professionals have to pay Gh 470.00 for induction, take cars from various destinations for this ceremony, others are going to stay home after induction, others are going back to work on hungry stomaches, others must do all their best to redeem the debt of their induction fee which to me did not give so much value for the money laid when this pressing issues were neglected in speeches delivered by various dignitaries but only telling them to respect and work hard to behold the tenets of the profession, this is not possible on empty stomach, is it that they are not aware or it was an oversight? Address the fundamental issues now in order to ensure the achievement of SDG 3 by 2030. As next year marks the year of the NURSE/MIDWIFE by WHO, it is important to critically examine the things that undermines the very dignity and the fundamental rights of the NURSE/MIDWIFE across the country Ghana and by extension the world at large.

Rev.Jefferosn Agbotro

Founder & CEO, FOHA

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UE/R: Public mourns death of schoolboy neglected to die at the Upper East Regional hospital.

A report about a schoolboy, who is believed to have died as a result of negligence at the Upper East Regional Hospital, is drawing a great deal of anguish and sympathy from the public after the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH) narrated his grim last moments on earth.

The report was one of the highlights of a health forum organised by the coalition as part of its 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM).

The event is taking place in the Upper East regional capital, Bolgatanga, under the theme: “Taking Advantage of ICT to drive the Achievement of Universal Health Coverage in Ghana”.

“This is how it happened. The boy was knocked down by a motorcycle. He was taken to the regional hospital. As they were taking care of the boy, he (the boy’s father) noticed that one of the legs was getting blacker than the other one. So, he quickly drew the attention of one of the healthcare providers. They ignored him. They told him they were focusing on the head where he (the boy) had bruises. They left the leg.

“On the third day, they realised that if they held the child here in Bolga, the child would die. So, they asked for a referral note. The referral note took more than 5 hours before it was written. Whilst they were on the way to the Tamale Teaching Hospital, they tried to call the doctor who referred so they could link him to the doctor in Tamale; he would never pick his calls,” the coalition’s National Chairman, Dr Gabriel Benarkuu, told stakeholders at the forum on Thursday (today).

Continuing the story, Dr Benarkuu said: “There was no support system for the boy as they were moving from Bolga. They eventually got to Tamale. After 3 days, they amputated the leg. And after amputation, still the child was seriously infected and he died. If they had listened to the boy’s father, who drew their attention that the leg was affected, technology would have scanned and they would have known what was wrong with the leg. They never listened to him and that is how come he lost the boy.”

The boy’s father, Adua Abdul-Sahkirt, told the media the crash happened on August 28, this year, after school hours.

Our Drone Technology is Paying Off— Government Sings own Praises

With President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo scheduled to visit the region on Friday for the sod-cutting ceremony of a multipurpose dam at Pwalugu, the Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, is absent at the forum as the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is preparing the ground for the President’s call.

Addressing the forum in a speech read by an assistant director at the RCC, Andrew Akumbutum, the Regional Minister hailed the role ICT played in healthcare delivery but also observed that utilisation was much limited in developing countries owing to some factors.

“Literacy levels and access to ICT infrastructure remain daunting challenges. Poor internet connectivity and budget constraints are the other factors that stand in the way of using ICT for effectiveness and efficiency in health service provision.

“It is in the light of the above that the Government of Ghana is embarking on an ICT revolution as part of our social and economic transformation agenda. In order to overcome the challenge of inaccessibility to some communities by health professionals especially with emergency services, government procured drones this year. So far, the decision is paying off in both cities and towns,” stated the Regional Minister.

Teenage Pregnancies have job potential for Counsellors— Former GHS DG

The ongoing forum has in attendance top members of the coalition, officials from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and several government representatives.

Speaking to the theme, a former GHS’s Director-General, Dr Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, placed emphasis on the role technology could play in helping the country to tackle its major health-related dilemmas.

“They say there is no job. There is job. A lot of the teenage pregnancies in this country is because people don’t have counsellors. Just visit public institutions and say, ‘I have a counselling package for the adolescents. We teach them about teenage pregnancies, drug abuse and so on’. They could have their counselling sessions on phone. We can bring the service to the people. Universal Health Coverage; we can get the services to the people,” said Dr Appiah-Denkyira.

The institutions present at the forum showered the coalition with praises for the efforts being made in every region to change the country’s health sector for the better. As stakeholders paid tributes to the coalition in turns amid applause from the audience, the GHS’s Deputy Director of Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME), Charles Acquah, encouraged the coalition to do more.

“Information Communication Technology (ICT) is key in helping Ghana to achieve Universal Health Coverage, but it is not enough,” he noted.  “The coalition needs to make a lot of noise and put us on our toes and Ghana will be better off,” he added.

         Since his inception as the medical director of the BONO REGIONAL HOSPITAL, SUNYANI, Dr.Dr. E.K Amponsah has imbibed the the culture of donation of items and equipments at the Sunyani regional hospital in order to help save lives and improve upon the comfort of clients. Among items donated in the past are Nebulizing machine to the Accident & Emergency department, 32 inch coloured Television only to mention but few. The recent donation making news and trending at the regional hospital is the DEFIBRILLATOR machine he donated on the 25th November 2019 to the Accident & Emergency Department worth and valued at GH 20, 160.00 in order to augment and improve upon the management of emergency conditions at the hospital. Receiving the equipment on behalf of the hospital was the core management members of the hospital. Through the influence of the medical director, DR.DR. E.K . AMPONSAH in collaboration with  an NGO - Smile Train USA Inc, the DEFIBRILLATOR was made possible  to help prevent unnecessary death of people who get cardiac arrest at  Accident and Emergency unit of the Hospital. With the acquisition of this defibrillator manual CPR is a thing of the past in Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, Sunyani. Management expressed their profound gratitude to Dr.Dr.E.K Amponsah and urged all core management members and staff to do same in their own small ways to help save lives. DR. DR. E.K Amponsah is appealing to all philantropies, religious bodies, individuals and corporate organizations to help in resourcing the hospital with all necessary equipments for Emergency preparedness in  order to augment what Centra government is doing. DR. DR. adviced that the equipment is taken good of for durability. 

Most Leaders do a lot during their tenure of office yet the communication of what they do get swept under the carpet and their followers do not see the need to appreciate them for sacrifices that they make in order to restore hope, confidence and leadership to their organization. It is in the light of this, that I will be bringing you up to speed with all projects and programmes and policy directions of from the office of the medical director of the BONO regional hospital. We write and share these inspiring stories from the health fraternity in order to appreciate and sacrifices that health care professional and clinical leaders are making for mother Ghana.

Source : Office of the Medical Director, BONO regional hospital

Your Most Authoritative Health News

Rev.Jefferson Agbotro

MSC OD

PRO, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, BONO REGIONAL HOSPITAL

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THE IMPACT OF THE SAFE DELIVERY    PROJECT 

The Safe Delivery Project initiated by the Second lady, Her Excellency Samira Bawumia aims at contributing to the sustainable Development Goals by reducing the spate of Maternal and child  Mortality 

The project also seeks to improve maternal health and ensuring safe deliveries through training, education and the provision of birth kits (Given in the 3rd trimester) to expectant mothers in deprived communities. Hundreds of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs)  have also been trained.

Since it's inception, over 4000 expectant mothers have benefitted from it.  

Statistics from the ANC register shows antenatal clinic attendance has increased more than 100%, whiles Maternal and Child mortality have reduced significantly in these communities. 

No woman must die during pregnancy/delivery!

       DR. DR.E.K Amponsah today secured one(1) pick up for Ghana Ambulnace services monitoring and supervision in the BONO region of Ghana. The ten (10) pick ups were today commissioned by the Honourble Minister of Health, Mr.Kwaku Ageyeman - Manu during a passing out parade of 490 Emergency Medical Technicians ( EMTs) at the Paramedic and Emergency Training Care Training School ( PECTS) at Nkenkaasu in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Ghana has so far received 96 Ambulnace in the country and awaiting the arrival of the rest for distribution to every District as part of central governments commitment to emergency health care in the country. DR. DR. E.K Amponsah was the special guest of honourble of this special ceremony. The EMTs took their oaths and pleadged to keep the professional knowledge up to date, maintain confidentiality of information they obtain from clients without disclosure unless required by the law, among others. Despite the efforts being made by governments inadequate budgetory allocation to run emergency ambulance services remains a challenge and Dr.Dr. E.K Amponsah is calling on all on board to help maintain and sustain emergency ambulance services at the highest level. DR. DR. enjoins all citizens to be open to the knowledge on emergency ambulance services and solicit for them when necessary. With the donation of the 10 pick ups to the Ghana Ambulance services, monitoring and supervision will ensure prompt responses and improvement of the service in every District in Ghana.

The Hon. Health Minister on his part entreated all the EMTs to live up to expectation in order to improve upon health and wellness among all ages and to satisfy the citizens on health delivery.

Your Most Authoritative Health News Anchor

Rev.Jefferson Agbotro

MSC OD

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  Dr. Dr. E.K .Amponsah is the medical director of the Bono regional hospital of Ghana and he is also the Brong Ahafo regional coordinator of the National Ambulance service of Ghana. Today Friday 22nd November 2019, he is the SPECIAL GUEST OF HONOUR of the passing out ceremony of 490 Emergency Medical Technicians ( EMTs) who have successfully completed a one - year training programme in Emergency medical services and drills at the paramedic at the Paramedics and Emergency Care Training School( PECTS) at Nkenkaasu in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region. The review officer for the passing out parade is the Honourble Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman - Many( MP). The programme commences at 8:30 am sharp. Stay tune as touch as I bring you up to speed with the updates from the office of the medical director of the Bono regional hospital of Ghana.

Your most Authoritative Health News Anchor

Rev.Jefferson Agbotro

MSC OD

www.fohaghana.org

www.jakconsultant.com

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