Category: Medical

Accra- The Accra Psychiatric Hospital is to be redeveloped into a new modern 220- bed Psychiatric Hospital under the Agenda 111 programme.

Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, the Minister of Health, who stated this in a Facebook post, dismissed reports suggesting that the Hospital had been sold to a private developer.

The Minister explained that the redevelopment of the Hospital would be done under an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract.

“The story making rounds that the Accra Psychiatric Hospital has been sold is not TRUE. It hasn’t been sold. It is to be redeveloped under Agenda 111 into a new modern 220 bed Psychiatric Hospital under an EPC Contract,” Mr Manu said.

“Tenders have been received and are being evaluated currently. Afterwards, it will go for VFM, Cabinet and loan will go for Parliamentary approval,” he added.

The Minister said staff of the Hospital “might be relocated” to the Pantang Hospital to pave way for the redevelopment.

He said the authorities would ensure that until all processes were completed and the contractor was ready to commence work, the staff would not be relocated.

In August 2021, the Government secured a US$100-million start-up fund through the Ghana Investment Infrastructure Fund (GIIF) for the commencement of work on selected hospital projects under the Agenda 111 programme.

Under the programme, government intends to construct 101 hospitals in districts where there are no hospitals as part of measures to achieve universal health coverage and enhance access to quality healthcare.

The Government also intends to construct 6 Regional Hospitals in newly created regions, as well as one Regional Hospital in the Western Region.

The programme also includes the establishment of two psychiatric hospitals for the middle and the southern belts, seven regional hospitals and the rehabilitation of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.

Situated at Adabraka in Accra, the Accra Psychiatric Hospital was constructed in 1904 and was called Lunatic Asylum. The facility accommodated 200 patients at the time.

The Hospital at the time consisted of four wards; Female, Male, General and Criminal wards. The Lunatic Asylum later underwent modifications and extension into the Psychiatric Hospital with a bed capacity of 600.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Mar. 15 GNA – Ghana on Monday took delivery of 309,600,00 doses of AstraZeneca COVID -19 Vaccines from the Government of Canada.

The donation, which was through the COVAX Facility, was to support Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, who received the vaccine in Accra, said it was possible for Ghana to achieve its target of vaccinating 20 million people by July this year and encouraged those yet to vaccinate to go for the jab.

He said the GHS had put in place several interventions like the national vacation campaign days and national immunisation days to ensure an uptake of vaccines.

Commenting on vaccine wastage, the Director General, said Ghana had stayed within the acceptable level of vaccine wastage over the period and that there was still enough to vaccinate more people.

He reiterated that the COVID-19 vaccine was safe and the best form of protection against the virus, and encouraged all to protect themselves through vaccination.

“Ghana has enough vaccine for all and we must all protect ourselves,” he stressed.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye, thanked the Canadian government for its contribution to Ghana’s vaccination drive.

Mr Harjit Sajjan, Minister of international Development and Minister Responsible for Pacific Development Agency of Canada , presented the vaccines to Ghana.

He said Canada was proud to partner the COVAX facility to donate vaccines to ensure everyone was safe.

He said Canada was also “here to learn from Ghana’s COVID-19 preparedness and responds experiences.”

Mr Fiachra McAsey, Deputy Representative of UNICEF to Ghana, congratulated the Ministry of Health and the GHS for the leadership in containing the pandemic.

He also lauded Government’s effort at getting more people vaccinated towards achieving herd immunity.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Maxwell Oduro Yeboah, the National President of the Union of Professional Nurses and Midwives, Ghana (UPNMG), has presented GH¢7,000.

00 to a sick member at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District to support her to undergo surgery.

Madam Lawrencia Tanga, also a staff of the War Memorial Hospital in Navrongo in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, was involved in a road traffic accident and sustained multiple fractures on her left leg.

The nurse was scheduled to undergo surgery at a cost of GH¢12,000.00.

Mr Benjamin Ndebugri Amadu, the Upper East Regional Second Vice President of the UPNMG, who presented the cash donation on behalf of the National President, in the company of some Regional Executives, told the Ghana News Agency at Zuarungu that the welfare of members was paramount to the leadership of the Union.

He noted that the UPNMG did not only move in to support its sick members with cash to settle medical expenses, “but when a member loses a relative, we support.”

“The Union’s main initiative is that any member who is hospitalised is given GH¢30.00 daily.”

“In the case of Madam Tanga, leadership realised the daily GH¢30.00 could not help her undergo surgery and buy medications, so the Union took the initiative to present to her the cash amount of GH¢7000.00,” Mr Amadu explained.

He said when leadership of the Union in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality got wind of information about the health condition of their member, it applied to the national leadership on her behalf for support.

“And leadership responded by assisting her with the amount,” he said.

Mr Amadu said the UPNMG had over the period supported members across the region who found themselves in unfortunate situations and needed help, adding that families of deceased members were equally given GH¢8000.00 as support package.

He disclosed that between January and March 12, this year, the Union supported about 45 members including bereaved members, noting that 1.5 per cent of members’ basic salary was deducted as Union dues out of which GH¢5.00 was used as insurance for members with Enterprise Life, an insurance company.

Mr Amadu entreated newly posted nurses and midwives, who still contemplated which union to join, not to hesitate to join the UPNMG.

“Our works are remarkable, a lot of nurses and midwives have testified to the remarkable work we are doing in the nursing fraternity,” he said.

Madam Tanga and her relatives, after receiving the money at her bedside at the hospital, expressed appreciation to the Union for the support, and said the gesture had lifted some financial burden off the family.

They were hopeful that Madam Tanga would undergo a successful surgical procedure and join her colleagues at work within the shortest possible time.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The African region is lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccination roll out with only 10.2% of its population fully vaccinated compared to 55.5% globally. Between January and August 2021, the low vaccination coverage was due to insufficientavailability of vaccines. Since August 2021, vaccine supply in the African region has increased significantly, especiallythrough the COVAX Facility, which has donated 69% of all vaccines received in the African region. With only 51.1% of vaccines received administered and reports of expired COVID-19 vaccines in 27 countries, the low vaccination rateappears to be the consequence of insufficient vaccine demand and limited capacity to roll out the vaccination programme. As result, only 5 countries have achieved the target of vaccinating 40% of their population set for December 2021, and 15 countries are yet to reach 10% of their population fully vaccinated. It is critical for the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) and other partners to provide the requisite technical and financial support to Member States in order to speed and scale up COVID-19 vaccination and achieve the target of fully vaccinating 70% of the population in all countries by the end of June 2022. To this end, the WHO AFRO launched, in January 2022, a new initiative aiming to ramp up COVID-19 vaccination in Africa: the Multi-Partners Country Support Teams initiative.

Source: World Health Organization

Paga (UE), March 8, GNA – The Paga Traditional Council in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region has launched the 50th anniversary of the enskinment of the Paramount Chief of Paga, Paga Pio, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga II.

Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga who is the 14th paramount chief of the Paga traditional area was enskinned on 20th June, 1972 at the age of 18 years.

The golden jubilee celebration is under the theme, “Celebrating our heritage, an anchor for development in peace.”

Under his reign, the traditional area has enjoyed maximum peace as he was very instrumental in working with the people of the area and all other relevant institutions to bring development to his people.

The Paga health facility, which had recently been elevated into a district hospital was constructed through his ingenuity and support from the government of the early 1980s.

In an address to launch the event, the chairman of the anniversary planning committee, Mr Richard Alogitega, said the Paga Pio’s efforts to bring development into the area must be applauded.

He said, “the airborne force facilities at the Paga border with Burkina Faso were converted for use by the Custom Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority following his recommendation.”

He said the opening of the Paga Senior High School was at the Chief’s persistent calls on government to support the community in the area of education and many more basic schools were established through his initiative.

The anniversary planning committee Chairman outlined the activities earmarked for the celebration, which included smock competition and cultural night, tree planting, health walk and screening, fun games, food bazaar and awards night, among others.

The celebration would be climaxed with a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the area on June 25, 2022.

The colourful ceremony was attended by traditional rulers, women groups, and heads of departments, among others.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Tema, – The Tema Polyclinic recorded a total of 106 positive cases of HIV infections in 2021 – an average of nine infections every month.

Nana Tekyiwaa Frempoma II, the Principal Midwifery Officer in Charge of the Anti-Retroviral Therapy and Sexual Transmitted Infections, said this called for increased public education to stop the spread of the infection.

She told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that they saw 10 positive cases in the first month of this year.

Two of the infected persons are teenagers and there is also one infected pregnant woman.

Nana Frempoma, who is also the Nimfahema of the Efuti Traditional Area, said people must protect themselves from the infection by either abstaining from sex or using the condom.

She encouraged people to go for voluntary tests to know their HIV status, adding that the test was free.

Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programmes Manager, National AIDS/STI Control Programme, has announced that more than 900 people died of HIV between January and June, last year, more than COVID-19 deaths in the country during the same period.

He told the Ghana News Agency that “HIV is worse than COVID-19”, adding that new cases of HIV were being recorded among persons aged between 15 and19 years.

What this means is that new infections are appearing in the younger age group.

Dr. Ayisi Addo said persons who were cohabiting had the highest prevalence of 3.5 per cent, while singles accounted for 3.1 per cent and the married 2.5 per cent.

To stop the spread, he said the education campaign needed to be ramped up.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Akim Manso (E/R),– About 1,623 food vendors and drinking bar operators in Asene Manso Akroso District have completed medical screening and issued with certificates to operate, Mr Robert Amewuda, District Officer of Environmental Health Unit, has said.

He said the Environmental Health Unit and MED ONE, a laboratory services agency in Akim Oda, conducted the screening for vendors, operating in areas like Mofram, Suponso, Akroso, Eshiem, Bantama, Atiankama – Nkwanta and Asene.

The screening involved body examination and blood test to ensure their safety under the required standards to carry out their trade.

They also received education on a clean and hygienic environment for food preparation and selling.

Mr Amewuda said, “All these precautionary measures being taken are needful because the possibility of transmitting disease from food vendors to consumers is high and could lead to an epidemic outbreak in the district.”

He called on the people to heed environmental and hygiene protocols to ensure healthy living.

Source: Ghana News Agency