THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received a consignment of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting medicines valued at about $3.3 million from the Peace and Love Hospital and Breast Care International (BCI) in Kumasi to be distributed free of charge to needy patients at various health facilities in the country.
The National Cancer Coalition based in Raleigh, USA, in partnership with AmeriCare also an NGO in USA, donated the drugs to Peace and Love Hospital and the BCI. In compliance with the wishes of the donors, the drugs were given to the NHIA at a brief ceremony last Friday.
Making the presentation, the President of BCI and Head of the Peace and Love Hospital, Dr (Mrs Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, noted that her outfit had arranged with its foreign partners to support needy cancer patients in the country with free drugs.
She said nausea and vomiting were the side effects of the application of the cancer drugs. Consequently, the drugs presented to the NHIA would help in combating the side affects.
She noted that cancer was now one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the irony of the situation was that, its treatment was very costly.
Dr Wiafe-Addai was convinced that involving the NHIA in the fight against cancer would help greatly in the fight against the disease.
She commended four people whose invaluable assistance ensured that the medicines arrived in Ghana.
They were Dr Oscar Debrah, Head of Eye Care Unit, Ghana Health Service, Professor Seth Wiafe of Lomalinda University, Carlifornia USA, Dr Boateng Wiafe of Operation Eye Sight International, and Mr Opuni Mensah of Watborg Eye Services.
Dr Wiafe-Addai called for proper records on the drugs to enable the BCI to give the donors the required data on the management of the medicines in Ghana.
Receiving the donation, the Director of Research and development at the NHIA, Mr O.B. Acheampong, said medicines accounted for 53 per cent of NHIA’s expenses and noted that the cost was going to rise as more people moved to access the facility.
He indicated that the specialist drugs donated to the NHIA were very expensive and commended the donors for the gesture.
“We recognise Dr Wiafe-Addai’s contribution as a true partner in giving care to cancer patients in Ghana, “ he added.
He called for more support for the NHIA to enable it perform its function of saving lives.
Mr said last year, there was a shortage of the drugs, which became a problem for the NHIA and patients.
In a related development, the Peace and Love Hospital and BCI presented prostate cancer drugs to the Sunyani Regional Hospital for free distribution to needy patients under a similar arrangement with the foreign donors.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
MEDIA MUST EXPOSE MISUSE OF AIDS FUND (PAGE 29, MAY 27, 2010)
THE Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) has appealed to the media to help expose organisations that misapply funds meant for HIV/AIDS activities.
It warned that the commission would not take kindly to the misuse of such funds, and expressed the hope that the media would join the commission to bring any offending organisation to book.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day writing clinic on HIV/AIDS for media practitioners from the northern sector of the country at Ejisu near Kumasi yesterday, the Director-General of the GAC, Dr Angela El-Adas, said the CAG would not only stop offending institutions from being part of the commission’s programmes, but would also prosecute officials involved.
The alleged misapplication of GAC funds by some non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) has become a source of concern to many well-meaning Ghanaians who believe action needs to be taken to plug the loopholes in the system.
Last year, the GAC dispensed with the services of two organisations that misapplied funds released for HIV/AIDS activities.
Dr El-Adas said her outfit had adopted a new multi-faceted approach to the management of HIV/AIDS under which the media would play a key role.
The workshop, organised by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with the GAC, was part of the programme on the broad theme, “Using the media to create greater awareness on HIV/AIDS.”
Dr El-Adas said even though some significant achievement had been made in the fight against the disease, there was more to do to reach the expected limit.
She said there was the need to develop innovative ways of dealing with the stigma attached to the disease.
A communications consultant and media educator, Dr Doris Yaa Darteh, observed that the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS could hardly be underestimated.
She said journalists did not only have a duty to report on the disease but also to be careful about their own lives.
She urged journalists to find out issues that were critical about health development of the nation to help improve the health of the people.
The Vice-President of the GJA, Mr Affail Monney, enumerated the benefits inherent in the GJA/GAC collaboration and expressed the hope that the co-operation would continue over a long period.
He spoke against the use of the media to promote pornography and called for an end to the practice, since it contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
It warned that the commission would not take kindly to the misuse of such funds, and expressed the hope that the media would join the commission to bring any offending organisation to book.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day writing clinic on HIV/AIDS for media practitioners from the northern sector of the country at Ejisu near Kumasi yesterday, the Director-General of the GAC, Dr Angela El-Adas, said the CAG would not only stop offending institutions from being part of the commission’s programmes, but would also prosecute officials involved.
The alleged misapplication of GAC funds by some non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) has become a source of concern to many well-meaning Ghanaians who believe action needs to be taken to plug the loopholes in the system.
Last year, the GAC dispensed with the services of two organisations that misapplied funds released for HIV/AIDS activities.
Dr El-Adas said her outfit had adopted a new multi-faceted approach to the management of HIV/AIDS under which the media would play a key role.
The workshop, organised by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in collaboration with the GAC, was part of the programme on the broad theme, “Using the media to create greater awareness on HIV/AIDS.”
Dr El-Adas said even though some significant achievement had been made in the fight against the disease, there was more to do to reach the expected limit.
She said there was the need to develop innovative ways of dealing with the stigma attached to the disease.
A communications consultant and media educator, Dr Doris Yaa Darteh, observed that the devastating effects of HIV/AIDS could hardly be underestimated.
She said journalists did not only have a duty to report on the disease but also to be careful about their own lives.
She urged journalists to find out issues that were critical about health development of the nation to help improve the health of the people.
The Vice-President of the GJA, Mr Affail Monney, enumerated the benefits inherent in the GJA/GAC collaboration and expressed the hope that the co-operation would continue over a long period.
He spoke against the use of the media to promote pornography and called for an end to the practice, since it contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS.
KOTOKO WON'T APPOINT CEO — K. K. SARPONG (PAGE 63, MAY 27, 2010)
THE newly-appointed Executive Chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Dr K.K. Sarpong, has stated that the board has not settled on anyone to head the management of the club.
He told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the board was working in accordance with laid down processes and that the appointment of the head of management was not part of the agenda at the moment.
He dismissed reports in a section of the media that the board had contacted Ashanti Gold CEO, Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, for a possible move to Kotoko.
“It cannot be true so the supporters should ignore it”, he stated emphatically.
Fianoo himself was on Angel FM, a Kumasi radio station, last Tuesday where he intimated that he had been contacted by officials of a club for a switch but failed to mention the club in question.
Dr Sarpong indicated that the board was in the process of studying the state of affairs of the club.
“This will end before June 14, after which who becomes the head of management will be tackled”, he disclosed.
“Examining the state of affairs will let us know whether there is the need for a new management or a new coach,” the new chairman said.
Dr Sarpong, however, indicated that as executive chairman, he would head both the board and management.
This means that the title of CEO would be out of the equation and replaced with head of management.
There had been arguments in Kumasi over the true position of Dr Sarpong as announced by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II last Monday.
Dr Sarpong said under the new system he would oversee the management of the club.
The club would also have line managers in its new managerial arrangement.
He told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the board was working in accordance with laid down processes and that the appointment of the head of management was not part of the agenda at the moment.
He dismissed reports in a section of the media that the board had contacted Ashanti Gold CEO, Mr Kudjoe Fianoo, for a possible move to Kotoko.
“It cannot be true so the supporters should ignore it”, he stated emphatically.
Fianoo himself was on Angel FM, a Kumasi radio station, last Tuesday where he intimated that he had been contacted by officials of a club for a switch but failed to mention the club in question.
Dr Sarpong indicated that the board was in the process of studying the state of affairs of the club.
“This will end before June 14, after which who becomes the head of management will be tackled”, he disclosed.
“Examining the state of affairs will let us know whether there is the need for a new management or a new coach,” the new chairman said.
Dr Sarpong, however, indicated that as executive chairman, he would head both the board and management.
This means that the title of CEO would be out of the equation and replaced with head of management.
There had been arguments in Kumasi over the true position of Dr Sarpong as announced by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II last Monday.
Dr Sarpong said under the new system he would oversee the management of the club.
The club would also have line managers in its new managerial arrangement.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
POLICE DEFEND ARREST OF ADU-GYAMFI (MAY 26, 2010)
THE Ashanti Regional Police Command has stated that it acted within the ambit of the law in arresting Alexander Adu-Gyamfi, a teacher and an NPP activist, who described President John Evans Atta Mills as a chimpanzee.
The Regional Public Affairs Officer of the Command, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspect acted in contravention of Section 207 of the Criminal Code by denigrating the President with that description.
He said the statement was an offensive conduct, which was prosecutable under the laws of the land.
According to him the Regional CID, which had taken over the case would put him before court.
Some people have criticised the police for the arrest of Adu-Gyamfi known in radio circles as the High Priest, a known defender of the NPP on radio programmes.
According to the critics, the police acted ultra vires, but the police disagree.
Chief Inspector Tanko said Adu-Gyamfi was released yesterday afternoon and was asked to report to the Police CID for further investigations today.
Adu-Gyamfi, 37, who is said to be a teacher at an Islamic school in Kumasi, described President Mills as a chimpanzee during the morning show on Fox FM in Kumasi.
Just after passing the comment, a crowd of NDC supporters massed up at the station’s premises calling for the blood of the suspect.
On receiving information about developments at the radio station, Police moved in quickly to save the situation by whisking Adu-Gyamfi away.
The Regional Command led by Regional Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah convened a meeting attended by various groups and the suspect and after evidence proved that the man made the disparaging comments against the President, the matter was referred to the CID for further investigations.
The Regional Public Affairs Officer of the Command, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the suspect acted in contravention of Section 207 of the Criminal Code by denigrating the President with that description.
He said the statement was an offensive conduct, which was prosecutable under the laws of the land.
According to him the Regional CID, which had taken over the case would put him before court.
Some people have criticised the police for the arrest of Adu-Gyamfi known in radio circles as the High Priest, a known defender of the NPP on radio programmes.
According to the critics, the police acted ultra vires, but the police disagree.
Chief Inspector Tanko said Adu-Gyamfi was released yesterday afternoon and was asked to report to the Police CID for further investigations today.
Adu-Gyamfi, 37, who is said to be a teacher at an Islamic school in Kumasi, described President Mills as a chimpanzee during the morning show on Fox FM in Kumasi.
Just after passing the comment, a crowd of NDC supporters massed up at the station’s premises calling for the blood of the suspect.
On receiving information about developments at the radio station, Police moved in quickly to save the situation by whisking Adu-Gyamfi away.
The Regional Command led by Regional Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah convened a meeting attended by various groups and the suspect and after evidence proved that the man made the disparaging comments against the President, the matter was referred to the CID for further investigations.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
REVISIT DREAM OF NKRUMAH (PAGE 18, MAY 25, 2010)
A PAN-Africanist, Dr Douglas Boateng, has stressed the need for the country, irrespective of which government is in power, to revisit the dream of Ghana's Founding President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in building diversified public industrial conglomerates to catapult the nation’s industrial development.
Dr Boateng, who is the President of the Panavest Foundation of South Africa, said Dr Nkrumah’s vision, which centred on building diversified public industries for national development, was still relevant.
Speaking at a programme to launch the West Africa Institute for Supply Chain Leadership at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, he said the bane of the nation was the 1966 coup which jolted the country’s industrialisation process.
He explained that the small Ghanaian economy was fit for such industries and described Dr Nkrumah as a visionary leader whose vision for an industrialised nation led to the establishment of huge national industries, including the GIHOC Group.
He, however, expressed regret that almost all the industries established by the first President had been sold out by succeeding governments in the name of a “divestiture” which had little to show by way of result.
Dr Boateng called on Ghanaians not to delude themselves into thinking that the socio-economic transformation of the country was about the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying the issue of national development went far beyond the two political parties and, indeed, any other political party.
He indicated that no political party could put its ideas into fruition without the support of the people.
That, he said, was why Ghanaians should think about what they could do for their nation to rise, instead of putting so much emphasis on political parties.
He suggested that the term of the President be increased from four to seven years, so that a lot more time would be spent on the economy instead of politicking.
He explained that shorter presidential terms tended to work for developed economies and not economies that were struggling to come up.
He further said industrialisation, which the nation was yearning for, was a long-term initiative and so the four-year democratic cycle was not helping to translate the dream into reality.
Dr Boateng, who is the President of the Panavest Foundation of South Africa, said Dr Nkrumah’s vision, which centred on building diversified public industries for national development, was still relevant.
Speaking at a programme to launch the West Africa Institute for Supply Chain Leadership at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, he said the bane of the nation was the 1966 coup which jolted the country’s industrialisation process.
He explained that the small Ghanaian economy was fit for such industries and described Dr Nkrumah as a visionary leader whose vision for an industrialised nation led to the establishment of huge national industries, including the GIHOC Group.
He, however, expressed regret that almost all the industries established by the first President had been sold out by succeeding governments in the name of a “divestiture” which had little to show by way of result.
Dr Boateng called on Ghanaians not to delude themselves into thinking that the socio-economic transformation of the country was about the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying the issue of national development went far beyond the two political parties and, indeed, any other political party.
He indicated that no political party could put its ideas into fruition without the support of the people.
That, he said, was why Ghanaians should think about what they could do for their nation to rise, instead of putting so much emphasis on political parties.
He suggested that the term of the President be increased from four to seven years, so that a lot more time would be spent on the economy instead of politicking.
He explained that shorter presidential terms tended to work for developed economies and not economies that were struggling to come up.
He further said industrialisation, which the nation was yearning for, was a long-term initiative and so the four-year democratic cycle was not helping to translate the dream into reality.
DON'T BE BLACKMAILED INTO AGREEING TO DEMANDS...Urges Youth Wing of NDC (PAGE 13, MAY 25, 2010)
THE Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region has asked government appointees, particularly Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), in the region not to allow themselves to be blackmailed into agreeing to the demands of any person or group of persons carrying themselves as members of the youth wing.
According to the youth wing, it had uncovered a plan by a group of party members masquerading as members of the youth wing to blackmail MMDCEs.
“They have succeeded in using it against some DCEs and recently, tried it unsuccessfully on the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong,” the Regional Youth Organiser, Mr Kwaku Boahen, told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi at the weekend.
Mr Boahen said the modus operandi of the group, numbering about four, was to go to a government appointee, demand money to either avoid exposing the person for some negative acts, or prevent party members from demonstrating against him or her.
He said immediately the appointee honoured the group’s demands, they would go and sit on radio to shower praises on the person.
Mr Boahen said the group is allegedly made up of some people who had been defending the party on radio in Kumasi.
“ I have warned them to desist from the act or I will expose them,” the youth organiser said.
He indicated that the practice was sowing seeds of confusion in the party and also casting a bad image for the party.
Mr Boahen said at a time that the NDC was making inroads in the region, the youth wing would not sit down for any party member to reverse the progress made.
Last week, a group of party members at Ejisu staged a demonstration calling for the removal of the DCE, Mr Mohammed Boakye Agyeman.
There is also tension in the party at Offinso where a group of members are threatening to stage a demonstration against the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Amponsah.
In Kumasi, a group of party people had started a campaign to get the MCE, Mr Sarpong, out of office.
Surprisingly, this comes at the time when Mr Sarpong’s performance had been described across the political divide as one of the best in the history of the metropolis.
According to the youth wing, it had uncovered a plan by a group of party members masquerading as members of the youth wing to blackmail MMDCEs.
“They have succeeded in using it against some DCEs and recently, tried it unsuccessfully on the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Sarpong,” the Regional Youth Organiser, Mr Kwaku Boahen, told the Daily Graphic in Kumasi at the weekend.
Mr Boahen said the modus operandi of the group, numbering about four, was to go to a government appointee, demand money to either avoid exposing the person for some negative acts, or prevent party members from demonstrating against him or her.
He said immediately the appointee honoured the group’s demands, they would go and sit on radio to shower praises on the person.
Mr Boahen said the group is allegedly made up of some people who had been defending the party on radio in Kumasi.
“ I have warned them to desist from the act or I will expose them,” the youth organiser said.
He indicated that the practice was sowing seeds of confusion in the party and also casting a bad image for the party.
Mr Boahen said at a time that the NDC was making inroads in the region, the youth wing would not sit down for any party member to reverse the progress made.
Last week, a group of party members at Ejisu staged a demonstration calling for the removal of the DCE, Mr Mohammed Boakye Agyeman.
There is also tension in the party at Offinso where a group of members are threatening to stage a demonstration against the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Amponsah.
In Kumasi, a group of party people had started a campaign to get the MCE, Mr Sarpong, out of office.
Surprisingly, this comes at the time when Mr Sarpong’s performance had been described across the political divide as one of the best in the history of the metropolis.
Disparaging comments on President Mills... TEACHER FACES CHARGE OF OFFENSIVE CONDUCT (PAGE 3, MAY 25, 2010)
A Kumasi-based teacher, Emmanuel Adu-Gyamfi, will appear in court tomorrow for allegedly making a disparaging comment on the person of the President, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, on a radio station in Kumasi yesterday.
The police placed him in custody after initial investigations and he will be charged for offensive conduct before a court for allegedly equating the President to a chimpanzee.
Adu-Gyamfi, 35, popularly known in radio circles as ‘The High Priest’, was said to have made the comment during a discussion on Fox FM in Kumasi yesterday morning.
Panellists on the programme were discussing recent comments made by Mr Kwame Pianim on the flag bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
His comment drew a large crowd of NDC supporters to the premises of the radio station and but for the timely arrival of the police, something nasty would have happened.
Earlier rumours that the host of the programme, known as Captain Smart, had also been picked up by the police turned out to be false.
According to the police, they had only invited Captain Smart and the other people to ascertain the facts of the matter.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, told the Daily Graphic that the police had information in the morning that a large number of people had massed up on the premises of Fox FM, ready to attack a panellist for his disparaging comments against the President.
A number of policemen were dispatched to the scene and they managed to rescue Adu-Gyamfi, who was then holed up in the studios of the station.
Chief Inspector Tanko said the suspect was first taken to the nearby Zongo Police Station, and as the crowd followed up to the station, the police whisked him to the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters for safety.
He stated that the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, convened a meeting, which was attended by representatives of the radio station, including the host, the National Media Commission, the Ghana Journalists Association, the NPP and the NDC, to go into the authenticity of the allegation against the suspect.
At the meeting, the host of the morning show admitted that Adu-Gyamfi had made the statement and that he (the host) had even asked Adu-Gyamfi to retract it but he refused.
The PRO said when the suspect was asked to explain his action, he denied ever making the statement and so the police called for the recorded tape of the programme for verification.
He indicated that the tape confirmed that Adu-Gyamfi had made the comment and based on that the police arrested him and placed him in custody for further investigations.
He said DCOP Timbillah took a serious view of the way personal attacks were being made on radio in recent times and called for a stop to the practice.
Chief Inspector Tanko said the regional police chief was also not happy about the way the mob tried to visit their anger on the suspect and said in matters of that nature the law should be allowed to take its course.
The police placed him in custody after initial investigations and he will be charged for offensive conduct before a court for allegedly equating the President to a chimpanzee.
Adu-Gyamfi, 35, popularly known in radio circles as ‘The High Priest’, was said to have made the comment during a discussion on Fox FM in Kumasi yesterday morning.
Panellists on the programme were discussing recent comments made by Mr Kwame Pianim on the flag bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
His comment drew a large crowd of NDC supporters to the premises of the radio station and but for the timely arrival of the police, something nasty would have happened.
Earlier rumours that the host of the programme, known as Captain Smart, had also been picked up by the police turned out to be false.
According to the police, they had only invited Captain Smart and the other people to ascertain the facts of the matter.
The Ashanti Regional Police Public Affairs Officer, Chief Inspector Yusif Mohammed Tanko, told the Daily Graphic that the police had information in the morning that a large number of people had massed up on the premises of Fox FM, ready to attack a panellist for his disparaging comments against the President.
A number of policemen were dispatched to the scene and they managed to rescue Adu-Gyamfi, who was then holed up in the studios of the station.
Chief Inspector Tanko said the suspect was first taken to the nearby Zongo Police Station, and as the crowd followed up to the station, the police whisked him to the Ashanti Regional Police Headquarters for safety.
He stated that the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbillah, convened a meeting, which was attended by representatives of the radio station, including the host, the National Media Commission, the Ghana Journalists Association, the NPP and the NDC, to go into the authenticity of the allegation against the suspect.
At the meeting, the host of the morning show admitted that Adu-Gyamfi had made the statement and that he (the host) had even asked Adu-Gyamfi to retract it but he refused.
The PRO said when the suspect was asked to explain his action, he denied ever making the statement and so the police called for the recorded tape of the programme for verification.
He indicated that the tape confirmed that Adu-Gyamfi had made the comment and based on that the police arrested him and placed him in custody for further investigations.
He said DCOP Timbillah took a serious view of the way personal attacks were being made on radio in recent times and called for a stop to the practice.
Chief Inspector Tanko said the regional police chief was also not happy about the way the mob tried to visit their anger on the suspect and said in matters of that nature the law should be allowed to take its course.
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