Surgeons meet in Accra to upgrade skills
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 March 2002 - The Fast Track High Court would be firmly established, Mr Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, the Chief Justice has said. Addressing the second biennial conference of the Association of Methodist Men's Fellowships at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, on Saturday, he declared his determination to ensure the best in the administration of justice.
He told delegates at the three-day conference on the theme "Behold a new dawn" that he would forcibly fight to bring sanity and decency into the judicial system, which he said was rife with corruption.
Justice Wiredu said he inherited a debt of seven billion cedis when he took over the administration of justice, attributing it to mismanagement, corruption and malfeasance.
He hinted that there were people in the service with fake certificates, noting that if Christians remained honest, they would always muster courage to condemn wrong doings. "We shall also be able to check ourselves from being dishonest to our neighbours, employers and the society as a whole".
The result would be that there "will not be any rioting and wantonness," he said adding that, "society usually goes rioting because there has been some dishonesty and cheating at one point or the other by some people against others".
The Chief Justice said if those in authority were dishonest and misappropriated public funds or took undue advantage of their positions, the subordinate employees might engage in rioting, which eventually results in wantonness.
Justice Wiredu reminded Christians that it was only when they showed perseverance and faith in their prayers that they would receive the spirit of God, which would direct them to behold the New Dawn.
"Let us also teach our fellow men the path to behold the new dawn and above all, let us eschew devilish behaviour as envy, hatred and wickedness so that we could be said to be children who have been ushered into the New Dawn".
Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister, repeated the government's readiness to co-operate with the Church to build a vibrant and prosperous nation.
He called on the Church to take up the challenge of fighting the growing indiscipline among the youth. This, he said, could be done through the intensification of youth evangelisation, saying, "let us instil in our young people respect for law and order".
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 March 2002 - The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) on Saturday reported missing a medical evacuation helicopter around Booma, near Anyinam in the Eastern Region.
The aircraft, which was conveying two patients in critical condition from Nkawkaw to the 37 Military Hospital, was also said to be carrying four crewmembers and a medical personnel.
Briefing newsmen in Accra, Group Captain Nana Krakue, Director of Air Operations, said all attempts so far made to locate the helicopter both from the ground and the air had proved futile.
He said, however, that a combined team of the military, Police, Forestry Department and inhabitants of the area was continuing the search and rescue mission. "Other security forces in the rescue team are from both the Southern and Northern Commands of the army, Bureau of National Investigations and NADMO."
Group Capt. Krakue appealed to the public to furnish the security agencies with any information that might lead to the location of the aircraft. He said the rescue operation was being zeroed on the village of Booma because that was where the last communication with the crew took place.
Lieutenant Colonel E. Nibo, Director of Public Relations of the Ghana Armed Forces, expressed disappointment at an earlier report by JOY FM that all the passengers in the aircraft were dead.
"Why should you report that when we do not know the whereabouts of the helicopter? Your attempt to be the first to report could ruin the lives of relatives of the crew members." Lt. Col. Nibo advised media personnel to be circumspect in their reportage, adding: "You must always bear in mind the moral implications of what you report."
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Koforidua (Eastern Region) 18 March 2002 - The Police at Koforidua have arrested 51 students who engaged in violent street fighting, using stones, cutlasses, knives, clubs and other offensive weapons in front of the Normal Technical Institute (NORMAL), on Saturday.
The students, 24 from NORMAL, 24 from Koforidua Secondary Technical School (SECTECH), one from New Juaben College of Commerce (NJUACOCO) and two Junior Secondary School pupils engaged in the fight, which brought traffic on the Koforidua-Effiduase road to a standstill until police intervened.
Peter Lamptey, a student of NORMAL who jumped through the window of the first floor of the school's hostel to avoid arrest had a fractured leg and is on admission at the Koforidua Saint Joseph Hospital.
Mr. Stephen Anyan, Eastern Regional Crime Officer, said Police were investigating the incident and those implicated would be charged with rioting and causing damage.
He said the incident followed an attack on SECTECH students by those from NORMAL and Koforidua Technical Institute, at the Koforidua Sports Stadium during the Inter-Schools athletics competition, on Friday.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 March 2002 – Fish catches the West African coast has declined sharply and some species have completely disappeared, the United Nations Environment Programme has reported.
It attributed the depletion to the huge presence and intensive fishing by foreign vessels in the West Coast. In Mauritania, UNEP reported that catches of octopus fell by at least 50 percent in the last four years, while local people employed in the traditional octopus fishing reduced from 5,000 in 1996 to 1,800 in 2002.
"A preliminary study of Mauritania, where European Union, Japanese and Chinese boats have access to fishing grounds, has found that the sawfish specie had disappeared," UNEP said.
At least, 251 industrial, factory-style foreign vessels operate in Mauritania. The UNEP report titled: "Well Managed Fisheries Vital for Environmentally Friendly Development in Poor Parts of the Globe: Studies from Mauritania, Argentina and Senegal point to pitfalls and possible solutions for Balancing Trade and Environment Concerns", was due to be discussed on Friday at a meeting of 100 experts in Geneva on Friday.
The experts were also to discuss "the links between international trade and subsidies, and their social and environmental impact. Findings from Mauritania, it added, alongside other studies of Senegal and Argentina, showed that strict safeguards ought to be in place before fishing activities were increased, or foreign fleet invited in.
"Country studies, including Mauritania, not only shed important light on the damage that can be caused by unregulated trade liberalization, but point to actions needed so that trade in fish contributes to development and sustains marine ecosystems," Hussein Abaza, Head of UNEP's Economic and Trade Branch said.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 18 March 2002 - The Asokwa West constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has advised members and supporters not to let the recent defeat of the party in the Bimbilla bye-elections dampen their spirit nor make them lose confidence in the NDC. "Members and supporters should rather perceive the defeat as an opportunity for them to identify their weaknesses and take more positive steps to amend them."
The advice was contained in a press release issued in Kumasi on Sunday and signed by Mr Evans Kwabena Ablordeppeh, the constituency organiser. It said now that the bye-elections were over, it was important that all members should remain united and device more forward moving strategies to ensure that the party wrestled power from the New Patriotic Party in the 2004 general elections.
The release called on members, supporters and sympathisers not to regard the canvassing for votes as the duty of the leadership alone but rather a responsibility of each member. The release urged all members to get actively involved in the drive for increased membership by sacrificing their energies to move to the various wards and constituencies and from house-to-house.
The Asokwa-West constituency of the NDC also appealed to delegates that will be attending the national delegates congress of the party in April to strive to use the congress as a platform to iron out their differences at all levels.
GRi…/
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Elmina (Central Region) 18 March 2002 - Organisations and people promoting women's empowerment, protection and preservation have been asked to tackle issues in a non-partisan manner.
"We need to initiate a process of non partisan crusade to secure better life for women and children in our country," the President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana, Mrs Ernestina Naana Hagan, said on Saturday.
Opening a two-day workshop for members of the Gender and Children Committee of Parliament, she appealed to them to shed their individual political prejudices to enable them make objective analysis of issues.
The workshop was to examine the status of women and children in respect of existing laws, practices and perceptions among other issues and to develop a sustainable and collaborative networking among stakeholders to minimise duplication in their interventions. Mrs Hagan pledged the preparedness of FIDA to make its expertise and experience available free of charge to create better conditions for women and children.
Mrs Angelina Baiden Amissah, Chairman of the Committee launched the final report of the "Women in election 2000 project" at the function and said it would help in the adoption of improved strategies to encourage more female participation in the electoral process.
Mrs Amissah said although, the efforts of FIDA in the 2000 elections to encourage more female participation did not translate in numbers in parliament, it had sensitised women to change their perception about politics.
Mrs Gloria Ofori-Boadu, FIDA member explained that the organisation solves the problems of both men and women adding that, "FIDA is pro-society" and urged males to feel free to contact it for solutions to their problems.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Elimina (Central Region) 18 March 2002 - The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Ghana, has trained about 172 paralegals to represent its interest in some district capitals. This would minimise the number of people calling at its Accra office, currently the only one in the country to seek legal assistance.
The President of FIDA-Ghana, Mrs Ernestina Naana Hagan, speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Elimina, said since the number of lawyers were few other means must be found to cope with the problems of women in the communities.
She said the programme was on-going adding that, FIDA had covered the Eastern, Ashanti and Central regions and would soon move to the other regions when funds were made available from UNICEF, financiers of the training.
Mrs Hagan said some district assemblies had promised to coordinate the activities of the paralegals and to provide them with offices. Those being trained included teachers, opinion leaders, church leaders, members of NGOs and other organisations. She said they would be charged to explain legal issues and settle petty matters within their control as would be spelt out by FIDA.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com
Accra (Greater Accra) 18 March 2002 - Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Health Minister, on Monday said there was the need to improve the quality and volume of tertiary health care support to meet the goals of the sector.
He noted that Ghana, like other developing countries was saddled with major concerns in public health and had, therefore, not always been able to meet the needs of tertiary services such as surgery and surgical research in the implementation of health sector programmes.
Dr Afriyie opening a five-day Pan-African course in reconstructive surgery of the head and neck in Accra for plastic surgeons, maxillo-facial surgeons and other scientists.
Organised by the College of Health Sciences, the Health Ministry and the International Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Project, the meeting would afford participants the chance to upgrade their knowledge in surgical skills and exchange ideas in order to expand quality tertiary health care services in the country.
Dr Afriyie said as part of measures to expand these services, the ministry was rehabilitating the physical infrastructure of the teaching and regional hospitals and instituting formal and in-service training schemes for both clinical and management staff.
Dr Afriyie said it took between seven to 10 years to train a surgeon in Ghana and upon qualifying they leave the country to pursue other relevant programmes. He explained that on the average, therefore, surgeons took about 12 years for the system to benefit from their skills, a situation, which he said, did not meet the needs of developing countries such as Ghana.
"Our target in the medium term is to equip our doctors with practical surgical skills at the district and regional levels to be able to handle the numerous cases that would otherwise force people to seek other alternatives usually with fatal results.
"We need to put in place training schemes that turn middle-level personnel with relevant surgical skills without having to wait for more than two years", he noted. Dr Afriyie called on health training institutions to tailor their curriculum to serve the needs of rural communities.
The Reverend Professor Seth Ayettey, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, noted that Ghana had very high rate of road-traffic accident cases and therefore, there was the need to have more skilled surgeons to handle victims. He explained that the anatomy of the face, head and neck was usually the target of these accidents and, therefore, the services of specialised surgeons were needed.
Prof. Ayettey said the College of Health Sciences as part of measures to stem the brain drain had embarked on training doctors in post-graduate courses locally with sponsorship from companies in the country. He said 21 companies were currently sponsoring about 60 post-graduate students with five million cedis a year per student for a period of four years.
GRi../
Send your comments to viewpoint@ghanareview.com