Fistula patients in the Upper West Region are to be registered freely with the National Health Insurance Scheme under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme (LEAP).
Patients in districts where LEAP is not operational will be registered among the indigent group.
This came to light during a stakeholders meeting organised by the United Nations Fund for Population Activity (UNFPA) in Wa.
The meeting was attended by health personnel, non-governmental organisations, religious bodies, among others.
Addressing the meeting, the project associate of the UNFPA, Miss Salamatu Futa, noted that obstetric fistula had both medical and social implications.
She said patients were mostly ostracised from society because they smelled of urine and at times faeces which they discharged through the female organ as a result of complications during childbirth.
She, therefore, encouraged pregnant women to take antenatal care seriously to check the position and health of their unborn babies, adding that “no woman should die or suffer a complication in the process of giving birth”.
For his part, a medical practitioner, Dr K. Fofie, said fistula was pervasive in the Upper West Region and that 42 women were awaiting surgery.
He, however, bemoaned the lack of qualified personnel to handle such cases very well.
The Regional Manager of the NHIS, Mr John Boscoe Zury, said the tariff for fistula repairs ranged from GH¢241 to GH¢275 at the district level and GH¢261 to GH¢283 at the regional hospital depending on the seriousness of the case.
Obstetric fistula is a complication arising out of severe and prolonged labour. This situation, according to health experts, arises when there is a hole in the bladder due to complications during severe labour.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
PSWU COMMITTED TO SSSS — SECRETARY (PAGE 3, JUNE 16, 2010)
THE Public Services Workers Union (PSWU) has reaffirmed its support for the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and advised other public sector workers not to listen to those who are against its implementation.
Addressing a forum of public workers in Wa, the Deputy General Secretary of the PSWU, Mr Richard Ampaabeng, said organised labour and the government were committed to the process to implement the policy, since it was in the interest of all.
According to him, although there were challenges, those challenges were surmountable and appealed to workers not to allow themselves to be deceived by people who saw the SSSS as a threat.
“There is no stalemate, as the SSSS is on course. What is left is for labour and the government to look at the impact on the national economy. Nothing has changed,” he added.
Mr Ampaabeng, who is a member of the Review Committee of the SSSS, was addressing the Upper West Regional branch of the union in Wa.
He reminded the workers that the implementation of the SSSS would resolve all disparities and, therefore, the PSWU would go for it so “we need to reason well and accept this policy”.
He, however, said the recent hullabaloo about the SSSS was about the grading system which fortunately was being resolved by the Review Committee and therefore called on members of the union not to entertain fears.
He was of the belief that starting the SSSS would be difficult but the rough edges would be shaped.
Mr Ampaabeng commended members of the union for their continuous support for the executive of the PSWU and urged them to also disseminate information on the SSSS to other members.
For her part, a national trustee of the union, Madam Fati Tambro, gave an assurance that the leadership of the PSWU would continue to fight for the well-being of its members.
Addressing a forum of public workers in Wa, the Deputy General Secretary of the PSWU, Mr Richard Ampaabeng, said organised labour and the government were committed to the process to implement the policy, since it was in the interest of all.
According to him, although there were challenges, those challenges were surmountable and appealed to workers not to allow themselves to be deceived by people who saw the SSSS as a threat.
“There is no stalemate, as the SSSS is on course. What is left is for labour and the government to look at the impact on the national economy. Nothing has changed,” he added.
Mr Ampaabeng, who is a member of the Review Committee of the SSSS, was addressing the Upper West Regional branch of the union in Wa.
He reminded the workers that the implementation of the SSSS would resolve all disparities and, therefore, the PSWU would go for it so “we need to reason well and accept this policy”.
He, however, said the recent hullabaloo about the SSSS was about the grading system which fortunately was being resolved by the Review Committee and therefore called on members of the union not to entertain fears.
He was of the belief that starting the SSSS would be difficult but the rough edges would be shaped.
Mr Ampaabeng commended members of the union for their continuous support for the executive of the PSWU and urged them to also disseminate information on the SSSS to other members.
For her part, a national trustee of the union, Madam Fati Tambro, gave an assurance that the leadership of the PSWU would continue to fight for the well-being of its members.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
U/W AWAITS NEW REGIONAL MINISTER (PAGE 14, JUNE 15, 2010)
THE Upper West Region is no doubt the smallest in the country and one may expect that its governance by regional ministers would have been so easy but that is not the case.
For sometime now the region is gunning for the title of the “Region with the highest turn-over of regional ministers”. Within a period of nine years the Upper West Region has had four regional ministers.
These are Sahanoun Mogtari, Ambrose Dery, Hickah Benson (all within the eight-year rule of ex-President J.A. Kufuor) and the latest to join them was Mahmud Khalid, who spent less than one and half years in office during the present government.
The removal of Mr Khalid was as a result of infighting within his party with the regional executive on one hand and some supporters of the former regional minister on the other. Although the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, is acting now, the current situation has opened the floodgates as people are seriously lobbying to fill this void.
So far an investigation by the Daily Graphic has revealed that four names have come up as potential regional ministers for Upper West. They are Alhaji Issahaque Salia, a former Member of Parliament for Wa East, Mr Pascal Dery, a development worker, Dr Francis Dakura, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Jirapa, and Mr Caesar Kale, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister.
Sources within the regional NDC are currently assessing the chances of these personalities and hope the best person will be nominated.
By assessing the chances of Alhaji Issahaque, the sources were of the opinion that, although he was capable of handling the region, he was not dynamic enough citing his loss of the Wa East parliamentary seat to the New Patriotic Party when the constituency was a known no-go area for the NPP.
Again they cited his humiliating defeat during the NDC primaries prior to the 2008 general election as another factor, after which he was not seen during the campaign that brought the NDC to power.
On Mr Pascal Dery, the NDC sources were of the view that on two occasions he contested to be elected as the regional representative on the Council of State and lost. He is not a known NDC member.
For Dr Francis Dakura, they argued that he was once a cadre but abandoned the ship and tried to organise the Convention People’s Party in the region against the NDC and when he realised the difficulty he decided to turn his attention towards the NDC and took advantage of the death of Edward Salia to become the member of parliament on the ticket of the NDC.
Touching on Mr Kale, they described him as a thorough bred NDC who as regional secretary had fought for the course of the party in all spheres in the region.
More so he has kept abreast of the challenges facing the region and has shown quality leadership skills which had endeared him to so many people.
“Apart from this, he enjoys the support of the rank and file of the party in the region because of his humility and is ready to listen to all and sundry. In short he is a problem solver”, a source told the Daily Graphic.
With all these arguments going round, the people of the Upper West Region are waiting for President J.E.A. Mills to give them a regional minister. They appealed to President Mills to involve the regional executive in the process in order to get what they termed “People’s Regional Minister”.
For sometime now the region is gunning for the title of the “Region with the highest turn-over of regional ministers”. Within a period of nine years the Upper West Region has had four regional ministers.
These are Sahanoun Mogtari, Ambrose Dery, Hickah Benson (all within the eight-year rule of ex-President J.A. Kufuor) and the latest to join them was Mahmud Khalid, who spent less than one and half years in office during the present government.
The removal of Mr Khalid was as a result of infighting within his party with the regional executive on one hand and some supporters of the former regional minister on the other. Although the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, is acting now, the current situation has opened the floodgates as people are seriously lobbying to fill this void.
So far an investigation by the Daily Graphic has revealed that four names have come up as potential regional ministers for Upper West. They are Alhaji Issahaque Salia, a former Member of Parliament for Wa East, Mr Pascal Dery, a development worker, Dr Francis Dakura, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Jirapa, and Mr Caesar Kale, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister.
Sources within the regional NDC are currently assessing the chances of these personalities and hope the best person will be nominated.
By assessing the chances of Alhaji Issahaque, the sources were of the opinion that, although he was capable of handling the region, he was not dynamic enough citing his loss of the Wa East parliamentary seat to the New Patriotic Party when the constituency was a known no-go area for the NPP.
Again they cited his humiliating defeat during the NDC primaries prior to the 2008 general election as another factor, after which he was not seen during the campaign that brought the NDC to power.
On Mr Pascal Dery, the NDC sources were of the view that on two occasions he contested to be elected as the regional representative on the Council of State and lost. He is not a known NDC member.
For Dr Francis Dakura, they argued that he was once a cadre but abandoned the ship and tried to organise the Convention People’s Party in the region against the NDC and when he realised the difficulty he decided to turn his attention towards the NDC and took advantage of the death of Edward Salia to become the member of parliament on the ticket of the NDC.
Touching on Mr Kale, they described him as a thorough bred NDC who as regional secretary had fought for the course of the party in all spheres in the region.
More so he has kept abreast of the challenges facing the region and has shown quality leadership skills which had endeared him to so many people.
“Apart from this, he enjoys the support of the rank and file of the party in the region because of his humility and is ready to listen to all and sundry. In short he is a problem solver”, a source told the Daily Graphic.
With all these arguments going round, the people of the Upper West Region are waiting for President J.E.A. Mills to give them a regional minister. They appealed to President Mills to involve the regional executive in the process in order to get what they termed “People’s Regional Minister”.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
HELP MAKE REGISTRATION EXERCISE SUCCESSFUL — EC (PAGE 14, JUNE 8, 2010)
THE Upper West regional directorate of the Electoral Commission (EC) has cautioned that the pending voters registration exercise scheduled for Friday, June 11 to Saturday June, 20, 2010, could suffer from inadequate publicity.
With the World Cup expected to dominate the period, the directorate called on all stakeholders to intensify the publicity on the registration exercise and assist in the dissemination of information.
The exercise is meant to register qualified Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years since the last registration of voters in 2008 and Ghanaians who are older but could not register in previous exercises.
Addressing a sensitisation forum in Wa, the Upper West Regional Director of the EC, Mr. Yahaya Mahama, also advised all to learn and adhere to the rules.
He said the registration would be done at designated registration centres in each electoral area throughout the region from 7am to 6pm each day of the registration period, including Saturdays and Sundays.
“Applicants for registration must appear in person at the registration centre in the electoral areas where they reside to provide information regarding their ages, house numbers, hometowns and names of their parents, living or dead”, he added.
Mr. Mahama reminded the public that it was an offence for anybody whose name was already on the voter’s register to register again.
He further said it was also an offence for a person to register or attempt to register if theyare not 18 years.
“A person who registers or attempts to register knowing that he or she does not qualify shall on summary conviction be jailed”, he warned
He advised voters who had lost their voter ID cards to report the loss to registration officers at the registration centres in the electoral area during the registration period or the district electoral officer of the commission at least a month before elections for replacement, adding that registered voters who had moved from the area where they registered would be given the opportunity to transfer their votes at the appropriate time.
Mr Mahama hoped all stakeholders would cooperate with the EC to make the exercise a success.
With the World Cup expected to dominate the period, the directorate called on all stakeholders to intensify the publicity on the registration exercise and assist in the dissemination of information.
The exercise is meant to register qualified Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years since the last registration of voters in 2008 and Ghanaians who are older but could not register in previous exercises.
Addressing a sensitisation forum in Wa, the Upper West Regional Director of the EC, Mr. Yahaya Mahama, also advised all to learn and adhere to the rules.
He said the registration would be done at designated registration centres in each electoral area throughout the region from 7am to 6pm each day of the registration period, including Saturdays and Sundays.
“Applicants for registration must appear in person at the registration centre in the electoral areas where they reside to provide information regarding their ages, house numbers, hometowns and names of their parents, living or dead”, he added.
Mr. Mahama reminded the public that it was an offence for anybody whose name was already on the voter’s register to register again.
He further said it was also an offence for a person to register or attempt to register if theyare not 18 years.
“A person who registers or attempts to register knowing that he or she does not qualify shall on summary conviction be jailed”, he warned
He advised voters who had lost their voter ID cards to report the loss to registration officers at the registration centres in the electoral area during the registration period or the district electoral officer of the commission at least a month before elections for replacement, adding that registered voters who had moved from the area where they registered would be given the opportunity to transfer their votes at the appropriate time.
Mr Mahama hoped all stakeholders would cooperate with the EC to make the exercise a success.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
MEDIA MUST BE CIRCUMSPECT IN THEIR REPORTAGE (PAGE 14, MAY 5, 2010)
THE District Chief Executive for Jirapa, Mr Bernard Puozing, has advised media personnel in the Upper West Region to be circumspect in their reportage.
He said this would go a long way to ensure credibility for the media and further raise the standard of journalism in the country.
Reacting to recent media reports which attributed a statement to Naa Ansoale Gana II (Mr Peter Nanfuri) a Member of Council of State and Paramount Chief of the Jirapa traditional area that the Jirapa town had been engulfed in filth and that the work of Zoomlion Ghana Limited was very appalling and irritating, Mr Puozing wondered where the story emanated from.
According to him, during an assembly meeting held recently which was attended by Naa Gana II and addressed by the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, many issues came up but the paramount chief never made such comments.
He said Jirapa had an enviable record of being adjudged the cleanest town in the region on a number of occasions and that the assembly would not allow such records to go into oblivion.
“There are a lot of positive things happening in the district yet, some media personnel chose to concoct their own stories for reasons best known to themselves”, he added.
Mr Puozing said a number of infrastructure including school blocks, clinics and boreholes were being provided by the government to uplift the living standards of the people in the district and wondered why such developments were not reported by the media.
“We should not allow our parochial interest to influence our sense of judgement since it has the tendency to create credibility problems for us all”, he concluded.
He said this would go a long way to ensure credibility for the media and further raise the standard of journalism in the country.
Reacting to recent media reports which attributed a statement to Naa Ansoale Gana II (Mr Peter Nanfuri) a Member of Council of State and Paramount Chief of the Jirapa traditional area that the Jirapa town had been engulfed in filth and that the work of Zoomlion Ghana Limited was very appalling and irritating, Mr Puozing wondered where the story emanated from.
According to him, during an assembly meeting held recently which was attended by Naa Gana II and addressed by the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, many issues came up but the paramount chief never made such comments.
He said Jirapa had an enviable record of being adjudged the cleanest town in the region on a number of occasions and that the assembly would not allow such records to go into oblivion.
“There are a lot of positive things happening in the district yet, some media personnel chose to concoct their own stories for reasons best known to themselves”, he added.
Mr Puozing said a number of infrastructure including school blocks, clinics and boreholes were being provided by the government to uplift the living standards of the people in the district and wondered why such developments were not reported by the media.
“We should not allow our parochial interest to influence our sense of judgement since it has the tendency to create credibility problems for us all”, he concluded.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
ASSEMBLY INITIATES ACTION TO MOBILISE RESORCES (PAGE 15, APRIL 14, 2010
AS PART of its resolve to strengthen fiscal management, the Sawla–Tuna-Kalba District Assembly in the Northern Region is to form a committee to mobilise resources and control expenditure.
The goal of the committee is to enhance prudent and efficient cash management.
The District Chief Executive, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, announced this during an assembly meeting at Sawla, the district capital.
He explained that the broad objective was to ensure that the assembly used public funds for both recurrent and development expenditure efficiently.
According to him, under a social democratic government such as the NDC, the returns from economic growth had to be distributed fairly, and that through resource distribution the pace of development could increase while poverty reduced.
Alhaji Bukari outlined major developments such as the construction of a number of school blocks, clinics, boreholes, standpipes and places of convenience in the district.
He said the assembly had also awarded contract for the construction of a three-unit classroom block for the Tuna Secondary School; a six-classroom block at Kalba and a multi-purpose community centre and teachers quarters in Sawla.
On rural electrification, the DCE said the assembly and the Ministry of Energy were supporting a number of communities including Kalba, Kunfisi, Nahari, Kong, Gunsi, Kentilpe and Nasoyiri.
Mr Bukari also said the assembly had initiated electrical network drawing for those communities and that expansion of electricity to Sawla, Tuna, Gindabuo, Yipala and Kulmasa was ongoing.
Alhaji Bukari gave the assurance that considerable resources would be released for the needs of all law enforcement agencies in the district.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Joseph Sanbangchorie, commended the assembly members for their dedication and cooperation.
He said being one of the newly created assemblies, the district faced challenges which needed the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to enable it to surmount them.
The goal of the committee is to enhance prudent and efficient cash management.
The District Chief Executive, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, announced this during an assembly meeting at Sawla, the district capital.
He explained that the broad objective was to ensure that the assembly used public funds for both recurrent and development expenditure efficiently.
According to him, under a social democratic government such as the NDC, the returns from economic growth had to be distributed fairly, and that through resource distribution the pace of development could increase while poverty reduced.
Alhaji Bukari outlined major developments such as the construction of a number of school blocks, clinics, boreholes, standpipes and places of convenience in the district.
He said the assembly had also awarded contract for the construction of a three-unit classroom block for the Tuna Secondary School; a six-classroom block at Kalba and a multi-purpose community centre and teachers quarters in Sawla.
On rural electrification, the DCE said the assembly and the Ministry of Energy were supporting a number of communities including Kalba, Kunfisi, Nahari, Kong, Gunsi, Kentilpe and Nasoyiri.
Mr Bukari also said the assembly had initiated electrical network drawing for those communities and that expansion of electricity to Sawla, Tuna, Gindabuo, Yipala and Kulmasa was ongoing.
Alhaji Bukari gave the assurance that considerable resources would be released for the needs of all law enforcement agencies in the district.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Joseph Sanbangchorie, commended the assembly members for their dedication and cooperation.
He said being one of the newly created assemblies, the district faced challenges which needed the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to enable it to surmount them.
Friday, April 9, 2010
MP SUPPORTS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS (PAGE 17, APRIL 9, 2010)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Sawla–Tuna–Kalba in the Northern Region, Mr Donald Soditey Dari, has supported a number of educational institutions in the area.
The MP has used part of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND in buying 20,000 exercise books and distributed them to schools in the constituency.
He has also provided support for 20 schools with temporary structures and headteachers’ bungalows.
Furthermore, the MP has purchased a quantity of electric poles for the Saint Cyprian Minor Seminary at Sawla.
Interacting with members of the Sawla-Tuna–Kalba District Assembly, Mr Dari said apart from supporting needy students in various tertiary educational institutions in the country, water and radio telephones had been provided for the people of Kalba.
“I have used part of my share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to support three junior high schools in Kulmasa and Soma for them to enjoy solar panel services while 10 corn mills have been distributed to some communities,” he added.
The MP announced a special package including roofing sheets and food items for some residents whose buildings were recently destroyed by a severe rainstorm, and promised to rehabilitate a staff bungalow at Kulmasa for the assembly.
He appealed to other individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the people of Kulmasa since it served as the gateway between the Northern and Upper West Regions.
Mr Dari advised the staff of the assembly to limit their travels outside the district during working days and do so at weekends.
“If it is not an emergency situation or official, I don’t see the reason why you should abandon your office and travel to your village,” he stated.
The MP gave the assurance that he would continue to work with the assembly in all its endeavours.
The presiding member of the assembly, Mr Joseph Sagbachopire, on behalf of the assembly, thanked the MP for his continuous support for the people of the area.
He urged members of the assembly to support the MP in order to improve upon the living standard of the people.
The MP has used part of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND in buying 20,000 exercise books and distributed them to schools in the constituency.
He has also provided support for 20 schools with temporary structures and headteachers’ bungalows.
Furthermore, the MP has purchased a quantity of electric poles for the Saint Cyprian Minor Seminary at Sawla.
Interacting with members of the Sawla-Tuna–Kalba District Assembly, Mr Dari said apart from supporting needy students in various tertiary educational institutions in the country, water and radio telephones had been provided for the people of Kalba.
“I have used part of my share of the District Assemblies Common Fund to support three junior high schools in Kulmasa and Soma for them to enjoy solar panel services while 10 corn mills have been distributed to some communities,” he added.
The MP announced a special package including roofing sheets and food items for some residents whose buildings were recently destroyed by a severe rainstorm, and promised to rehabilitate a staff bungalow at Kulmasa for the assembly.
He appealed to other individuals and organisations to come to the aid of the people of Kulmasa since it served as the gateway between the Northern and Upper West Regions.
Mr Dari advised the staff of the assembly to limit their travels outside the district during working days and do so at weekends.
“If it is not an emergency situation or official, I don’t see the reason why you should abandon your office and travel to your village,” he stated.
The MP gave the assurance that he would continue to work with the assembly in all its endeavours.
The presiding member of the assembly, Mr Joseph Sagbachopire, on behalf of the assembly, thanked the MP for his continuous support for the people of the area.
He urged members of the assembly to support the MP in order to improve upon the living standard of the people.
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