Category: Medical

Aburi (E/R) Sept. 8, GNA – Dr Isaac Adomako, a specialist at the Salvation Army Hospital in Agona Duakwa has called for the establishment of a medical jurisprudence in Ghana to deal with medical negligence in the nation’s healthcare system.

He said a lot of healthcare workers tend to be careless when administering care, because they know that even if something goes wrong they will be covered.

“In Ghana, many healthcare workers or doctors are not held responsible for negligence, but in developed countries healthcare workers tend to be more careful because they know they can be sued and their licenses revoked should something go wrong,” Dr Adomako told the GNA in an interview.

Medical jurisprudence is the branch of law that studies the relationship between medical facts and legal issues. Medical witnesses may testify in front of courts, administrative tribunals, inquests, licencing agencies, boards of inquiry or certification, or other investigative organisations.

Dr Adomako explained that with the establishment of a medical jurisprudence in Ghana, there will be a breed of medical doctors who are also specialized in law to ensure that patients are treated right and also have a place to report to should they feel they are not treated well.

He expressed believe that establishing a medical jurisprudence in Ghana will help sanitise our healthcare system and reduce the many cases of medical negligence that occurs in our hospitals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Wa (UW/R), Sept. 06, GNA – Dr Alex Bapula, the Wa Municipal Director of Health, has called on the media to lead the campaign for the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type two (nOPV2) campaign to ensure the success of the immunisation exercise.

He described the media as important stakeholders wielding the power to advocate, sensitise and educate the public on the vaccination exercise and to motivate caregivers to actively participate in the exercise, hence the need for their support in the nOPV2 campaign.

Dr Bapula made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Wa on the polio immunisation campaign, which commenced in the Municipality on Thursday.

“We need the support of the media in this campaign because in our homes, our mothers are always listening to you; some even have more than one radio set listening to all the stations,” he said.

“Let them know the importance of this exercise and the need for them to get involved and have their children within the age category vaccinated.”

Children between 0-59 months are the target group to ensure they resist these infections and are protected.

He said the country had recently recorded some wild polio viruses in some regions including the Northern, Savannah and Ashanti, necessitating the need for immunisation.

Dr Bapula, therefore, urged mothers, guardians and caregivers to avail their children less than five years (0-59 months) for the polio vaccination.

The exercise is in two phases; the first is scheduled for September 1 to 4, while the second phase will start from October 6 to 9, 2022.

He said the vaccine was safe and effective at protecting children against lifelong polio paralysis hence the need to get all the children in the municipality vaccinated.

Dr Bapula cautioned that polio paralyses children for life and could also lead to death, hence the importance of the immunisation.

The vaccination teams, comprising qualified health professionals, would move from house to house for the exercise.

He urged parents, guardians and caregivers to report any side effect in the children after taking the dose to the health facility, but was quick to add that there had been no evidence of side effect of the vaccine.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cape Coast, Sept. 5, GNA – Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, the Director of the West Africa Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), has called for the training of a workforce in genetic health to enable them to diagnose and treat genetic disorders that may affect the populace.

He observed that many children were dying from cancer, sickle cell and other genetic-related diseases, owing to the lack of capacity to understand and correct those conditions.

“Every year, 400 children are diagnosed with cancers, many of which are driven by mutations. We don’t have the capacity to delve deep into the mutations responsible for childhood cancers and for majority of Ghanaians, this potentially could be a death sentence because there is no way to diagnose it,” he said.

Prof Ofori-Acquah, also the Director of the Ghanaian Genome (GhGenome) Project, said Ghana faced a developmental health challenge, stressing the need to train Ghanaians in genetic health to combat it.

He disclosed this at a public lecture at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) aimed at awakening the consciousness of Ghanaians and policymakers on the importance of genetics in the delivery of quality health and the need to develop expertise.

The GhGenome Project, through several postgraduate degree programmes, therefore, seeks to train experts in medical molecular genetics to support the genome sequencing of some 1,000 children with severe genetic conditions, including 500 sickle cell and 200 childhood cancer patients.

Prof Ofori-Acquah said the project was embarking on a genome sequencing exercise for Ghanaians that could reveal the risks to diseases and determine the appropriate medicine for them.

“It is our collective duty to decode the mutations that give rise to rare genetic disorders and create the environment for those who are unfortunate to have these diseases to get answers,” he said.

It was important for every person to understand genetics and get to know his or her genetic status because some genes inherited could predispose the individual to diseases, he said, adding that it had led to many societal problems including accusation of witchcraft and broken marriages.

Professor Ofori-Acquah called on the public for funding support to help the project succeed, noting that they had already secured 300 million dollars in funding from the USA to sequence the genome of the sickle cell patients, saying about 15,000 children were born every year with the disease.

“This is the time to contribute. We hope to raise funds locally. We shouldn’t let foreign agencies fund the decoding of our genomes,” he appealed.

Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the UCC Vice Chancellor, said the project would improve health and well-being of people with sickle cell, diabetes, kidney and cancer diseases and most importantly educate the guardian population on how to manage the situation.

He entreated all to embrace problem solving programmes and pledged the UCC’s support and partnership with the project to ensure its success.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPSF) has responded to allegations made against it in the Auditor General’s report.

The Auditor General in its latest report for the year ending December 2021 on Public Boards, Corporations, and other Statutory Institutions noted that the Fund failed to account for some GH¢254,000 paid to it by the Covid-19 National Trust Fund.

In the report, the Auditor General raised concerns that the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund could possibly be trading public funds for personal gains.

Concerned about the picture the Auditor General has created with its report, the Ghana Covid-19 Private Sector Fund has issued a statement to set the records straight.

In the statement signed by Managing Trustee Mr. Senyo Hosi, it stresses that the report’s reference to the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund under the audit of the National Covid-19 Trust Fund are inaccurate and misleading.

“We have taken note of the Auditor-General’s management report in reference to the Covid-19 National Trust Fund (NCTF). The report makes inaccurate and misleading references to the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPSF). As a transparent and open organisation whose activities are funded by the public, we are concerned by the misrepresentations made,” parts of the statement read.

It adds, “We are gravely concerned by the statement made in paragraph 30 of the Auditor-General’s management letter which suggests that the GCPSF could trade with public funds for personal gains. We are a not-for-profit organisation and do not engage in trading.”

The statement added that over GH¢254,000 which was reported missing was actually invested in the acquisition of laboratory equipment for the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research.

The Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund maintains that it is willing to refund the money if the National Covid-19 Trust Fund so insists.

The statement further emphasises that since its creation, the Fund has neither acted nor purported to engage in commercial activities for which the GCPSF, its trustees, officers, assigns or representatives shall or stand to benefit personally.

Find more from the copy of the GCPSF statement below:

For Immediate Release 1st September 2022

PRESS RELEASE AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REFERENCES TO THE COVID-19 PRIVATE SECTOR FUND UNDER THE AUDIT OF THE NATIONAL COVID-19 TRUST FUND

We have taken note of the Auditor-General’s management report in reference to the Covid-19 National Trust Fund (NCTF). The report makes inaccurate and misleading references to the Covid-19 Private Sector Fund (GCPSF). As a transparent and open organisation whose activities are funded by the public, we are concerned by the misrepresentations made and hereby address the issues as follows:

1. The GCPSF has had a healthy cooperation with the NCTF which has ultimately been beneficial to the people of Ghana. We are grateful to the NCTF and proud of the successes attained by the partnership in the provision of public goods.

2. We are gravely concerned by the statement made in paragraph 30 of the Auditor-General’s management letter which suggests that the GCPSF could trade with public funds for personal gains. We are a not-for-profit organisation and do not engage in trading. Neither have we suggested, acted, nor purported to engage in commercial activities for which the GCPSF, its trustees, officers, assigns or representatives shall or stand to benefit personally.

3. As is publicly known, the GCPSF operates with very competent structures with reputable partners like KPMG (Fund Accountants), Ernst & Young (Fund Auditors), Stanbic Investment Management Service (Fund Managers), Fidelity Bank and Ecobank (Fund Custodians), BentsiEnchill Letsa & Ankomah (Fund Lawyers) and other efficient structures that ensure value for money and compliance.

4. The NCTF was the largest donor to our Protect and Resource the Frontline (PARF) project, donating GHS10.257mn for the supply of medical equipment and PPE to major COVID-19 centres and frontliners. The NTCF was also a major donor (GHS6.8mn) to our Facility 100 project that saw the delivery of Ghana’s First Infectious Disease Centre.

5. To ensure value for money, we undertook a transparent and competitive process with officials from the NCTF invited to participate as observers. A procurement report was subsequently submitted to the NTCF for their consideration. This served as the basis for the donation.

6. The GCPSF entered into a donation agreement with the NTCF in May 2020 to provide funding for the GCPSF to acquire and jointly donate the items listed in the procurement report. The GCPSF duly received the funds and acquired all the authorised items for joint donation and distribution with the NCTF.

7. The GCPSF renegotiated some contracts following the failure of some contractors to supply the required items on time or meet our quality standards. These renegotiations provided opportunities to extract value and achieve savings of GHS254,203 for the project. This was reported in our 2020 accounts prepared by KPMG and same shared with the NCTF.

8. We drew the attention of the NCTF auditors to the savings and notified the NCTF of our intent to apply the savings towards the acquisition of additional items for COVID-19 centres since the PARF project was still active.

9. In conjunction with officials from Noguchi Medical Research Institute (Noguchi), we commenced a procurement process to provide the GIDC laboratory with relevant equipment for it to be upgraded to a level-3 status comparable to the laboratory at Noguchi. This process commenced in July 2020 and was completed in May 2022 with the award of the relevant contracts worth GHS1.33mn. The process, just as previous, was competitive and transparent.

10. The NCTF PARF donation saving of GHS254,203 was partly applied to fund the acquisition of the lab equipment.

11. On the 15th of July 2022, we received a letter from the NCTF requesting a refund of the saving citing the recommendation of the Auditor-General’s report for the GCPSF to account for the saving or refund it. It should be noted that prior to this letter and contrary to paragraph 32 of the Auditor-General’s report, we had never been requested to refund the savings.

12. We opted to ensure the implementation of the lab upgrade project before completing the accounting process for the saving. Goods worth GHS557,610 have been delivered as at date with more undergoing clearing at the Tema Port.

13. We have notified the NCTF of the application of the GHS254,203 towards the acquisition of the level-3 lab-required real-time PCR equipment delivered in the past few days.

14. In our estimation, the application of the funds in the procurement of this critical equipment for the public good is constructive and believe it effectively addresses the recommendation by the Auditor-General to have us account for the funds which were unutilised at the time of the audit. We have therefore requested the NCTF to reconsider its request for a refund.

15. We have further indicated our willingness and ability to make the payment requested if the NCTF so insists after reconsidering its position in the light of the new information we have provided.

16. We are grateful for the public support in the execution of our projects and assure all of our continuous and unflinching commitment to accountability, transparency and value for money in all our activities and endeavours.

Source: Modern Ghana

backs Gyan’s wish

Accra, Sept. 2, GNA- Medeama SC Captain, Kwesi Donsu has thrown his weight behind former Black Stars Captain, Asamoah Gyan’s wish to earn a call-up for the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar this year.

Gyan, Ghana’s all-time goal-scorer for the Black Stars (51 goals), expressed his desire to don the national colours again, stating that, though he had been out of competitive football for about two years due to injuries, he could be the “Roger Milla” for the Black Stars at the global football showpiece.

The 36-year-old said he has been training to get his body back in shape and active to be available for selection at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

In an interview with the GNA Sports, Donsu said, “Asamoah Gyan has not retired from international football and if the technical team wants him, why not invite him. Black Stars is there for everyone and once Gyan can play, why not give him a chance to help us”.

“If Gyan is fit, why not call him because of his impact on the field. He is a senior player and has the experience in football which could be helpful to the young ones. Everybody deserves a chance and we want to do well to move Ghana football forward.”

The last time Gyan donned the national jersey was at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, where Ghana exited at the group stage  and last competitive game was for Legon Cities in the Ghana Premier League before the 2021/22 league season.

Gyan, the former Sunderland player is Africa and Ghana’s all-time highest goal scorer at the World Cup with six goals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Sept. 01, GNA – The 2022 National Immunization against Polio has started today, Thursday, September 01.

At the launch of the exercise, Dr. Mahama Asei Seini, the Deputy Minister of Health, reassured Ghanaians that the novel Oral Polio Virus Type 2 (nOPV2) vaccine was safe and effective, and urged parents to ensure that children under five were vaccinated against the disease. 

He said that was necessary because Polio could only be prevented through vaccination. 

Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.

The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis.

The four day vaccination exercise targeted at over six million children under five years, will be in two rounds, with the first round starting from September 1st -4th 2022, and the second commencing on October 6th -9th 2022. 

It is expected to help stop local transmission of Poliovirus type 2, maintain a high population immunity, strengthen surveillance on Polio disease, and prevent further Polio outbreaks in the country. 

Dr Seini said, so far, approximately 370 million doses of the new vaccine (tool) had been administered across 21 countries since the launch of the campaign in March 2021. 

 Consequently, countries using the vaccine have managed to stop the transmission of the Circulating Vaccine Derive Polio Virus type 2.  

The Deputy Minister said the strategy for the vaccination exercise would be house to house.

He said some designated sites would also be visited to serve the target population and urged all caregivers to look out for the vaccination teams and ensure that their children were fully vaccinated.

The public is also encouraged to continue to observe improved personal hygiene and good sanitation practices to prevent polio transmission. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Aug. 31, GNA – The Minority in Parliament is demanding accountability of the 680 million Euros approved by Parliament for the La General Hospital project in Accra.

The hospital was pulled down in 2020 for the construction of a new one for 680 million Euros.

However, almost two years after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut sod for the project, the site is still bare to the chagrin of residents.

The Minority has, therefore, joined residents of La Dadekotopon in calling for immediate construction of the demolished La General Hospital.

Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps on Wednesday during a visit by the Minority members of the Health Committee of Parliament to the project site, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on the Committee of Parliament, said it was time the President and the Minister for health treated the constituents fairly, health-wise.

” The Minister lied on the floor of the House, you can check the records in the Hansard, series of excuses and promise to commence the construction and we are here. A facility which costs over 68 million Euros and there is no work ongoing here.

“We are here but work is stalled, and we see a car parked with materials not knowing where it is going. You ask and you are told it is going to Cape Coast, while others say Burma Camp, which one should we believe,” he said.

Mr Akandoh, who is also Juaboso Member of Parliament (MP), said the project according to the health minister was expected to be completed in 30 months was currently in the 29th month and there was no progress.

He said it was about time the president and minister acceded to the constituents.

“If they had left the structure as it was, they would have been accessing health care.

“Making the news is not the target, if we have to come here 100 times we will come here, getting the job done is our target and we will continue to come here until this project is executed,” he said.

He called on the Health Minister to bring the contractor back to the site to finish the project.

Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, the MP for Techiman North, condemned how accessing health care had become problematic headaches for the constituents and called on the health minister to timely expedite action for work progress.

“The people of La are in pain. They need a health facility. We are calling on Kwaku Agyeman Manu to put up the hospital for them,” she said.

At the time of the visit, the Ghana News Agency observed that the site had been levelled, with an okra garden being cultivated while workers were idling about.

There was also a truck loaded with materials driving off during the visit.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Düsseldorf, Aug 30, (dpa/GNA) – Borussia Dortmund striker, Sebastien Haller, has said he is continuing his recovery from testicular cancer, and urged other players to undergo tests to detect such an illness.

Haller was last month diagnosed with a testicular tumour which after its removal was diagnosed as malignant.

He underwent chemotherapy and told the Dutch division of broadcasters ESPN, published on Tuesday, that he is now in rehabilitation.

“I am feeling good. I could eat well and I am controlling my body every day. I didn’t lose that much weight after two weeks and am even at the level from a few months ago. That is a good sign and I hope it stays that way,” he said.

Haller said he has already visited a gym and was working on his fitness, adding that his return to the pitch will take a few months.

“It is important that I don’t lose too much muscle mass. I must stay fit. The most important thing now is that my body feels good,” he said.

“But the big goal is of course to play in front of the yellow wall [of fans] and to score my first goal. That will be a nice and emotional moment,” Haller said.

Haller joined Dortmund from Dutch champions Ajax in summer and the diagnosis came shortly before the start of the season.

He named the diagnosis a big shock but was deeply moved by the big concern and support because it was “something I would have never expected from these people in this world of football” and gave him “additional motivation” to recover.

Bundesliga clubs have no special cancer examinations for their players, but Haller was the third in the league to be diagnosed with a testicular tumour this year, following Hertha Berlin’s Marco Richter and Timo Baumgartl from Union Berlin.

As a result, he urged young players to have their blood examined, saying: “You have no symptoms. You don’t feel it. That’s why it is important to make many tests because it can happen to everyone, especially young men.”

Source: Ghana News Agency