NPP organises successful conference, but…

Posted: The Chronicle | Wednesday, August 26, 2009

By Charles Takyi - Boadu


Though the largest opposition political party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) managed to hold a successful national delegates conference over the weekend, there are still lingering issues that the party has to deal with, especially the unity of the party.

National Youth Organiser of the party, Mr. John Boadu believes the leadership of the party, including the Executives and the Council of elders, have a lot of work to do to ensure a united front for 2012 elections.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Mr Boadu stressed that the way and manner in which the leadership of the party manages the issues that came up during the just-ended conference would to a large extent, determine the chances of the party in the next elections.

“If we are able to implement these far-reaching reforms to the fullest, the party will be in a better shape to recapture power”, he said.

Much as he appreciates the amendments made to the party’s constitution, since it has brought ‘power’ down to the people, Mr Boadu noted that these amendments are not an end to themselves, and that there are more work to be done.

“With such far-reaching changes and reforms, if it is not managed well, it is possible we may not have the desired results that we want, so having done this, there is the need for leadership to put their heads together to design a system that would enable these reforms and designs go through,” he emphasised.

Confident about the chances of the party in the next general elections, he believes the amendments of the NPP constitution could bring serious implications for the party if not handled well, since it has its own merits and demerits.

Whilst appreciating the fact that there may be some individuals or group of persons who may not be satisfied with sections of the amendments to the party’s constitution, taking into consideration the different views and opinions expressed prior to the conference. He noted that it is high time they buried their individual differences so as to ‘move forward’ in the interest of the party.

“Obviously, you can’t have everybody agreeing with a proposal but if congress decides, it is binding on all of us, this is democracy, majority rules and I believe that they themselves as democrats would understand,” he stressed. He charged the leadership of the party to take a queue from the wise counsel of former President Kufuor to bury their individual differences to ensure the unity of the party.

Korle Bu makes history again

… As doctors perform first Laparoscopic Surgery

Posted:The Chronicle | Friday, August 21, 2009


By Charles Takyi - Boadu

The nation’s premier hospital, the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), is gradually registering its presence on the African continent, as one of the best health institutions.

Last week, physicians at the hospital performed the first Laparoscopic surgery in the history of the hospital.

The four -member team was led by Professor Afua A. J. Hesse, Head of the hospital’s Department of Surgery.

She performed the surgery with other paediatric surgeons from the John Hopkins University Hospital in the United States of America, which was led by Dr. Fizan Abdallah.

Other members of the team included Doctors W. Apeadu-Mensah, H. Glover-Addy, and V. Etwire from KBTH, and Dr. Karen Cartwright from the USA.

This form of surgery, which is often referred to as ‘Key Hole’ surgery, allows various body cavities to be explored whilst the surgery is performed, without necessarily cutting or doing large incisions.

In the process, internal organs of the body are visualized through a telescope, which is projected onto television screens whilst the surgery or procedure is performed, using various surgical instruments.

The doctors managed to perform four cases within the two days of the operation.

Two of such cases were diagnostic and therapeutic, whilst one was curative.

In another case, the procedure had to be terminated and completed through the open conventional route.

According to Prof. Hesse, this occasionally becomes necessary, depending on the findings on laparoscopy.

Laparoscopic surgery is currently available in most paediatric surgery centres the world over.

This therefore makes Korle Bu one of the few countries on the African continent to provide such services.

The hospital’s management believes such international collaborations would continue to strengthen patient care and delivery in the country, to the mutual benefit of all Ghanaians.

Fuel shortage hits police service

… Vehicles, motorbikes queue at filling stations

Posted: The Chronicle | Thursday, August 20, 2009

By Charles Takyi - Boadu

The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has been hit by a major fuel shortage, which is likely to ground most of its operational vehicles and motorbikes in the next couple of days.

Most of these operational vehicles have now begun to join long queues at the various fuel stations across the length and breadth of the country, to buy petrol. Drivers and riders were told about a month ago that there was a fuel shortage when they went to the police workshop, which is closed, to draw fuel for use.

However, the authorities seem to have not to have found a solution to the situation, which is having a telling effect on these police drivers and dispatch riders.

Currently, most of these drivers, in whose care the vehicles have been entrusted, and riders of police motorbikes, are compelled by prevailing circumstances to use part of their already paltry salaries to buy fuel to keep their vehicles running each passing day.

Some of these drivers and riders who spoke to The Chronicle on condition of anonymity, said whenever they go to the police workshop, the officers in-charge are not able to give them any specific reason for the shortage.

That notwithstanding, they are also not able to tell what date and day they would receive some of the product.

Some of these drivers and motorbike riders told the paper that they are compelled by circumstances to spend over GH¢10 each day, since they buy at least between two to three gallons of fuel (petrol/premium) at a cost of GH¢5.50 per galoon, or Total Effimax, which cost GH¢6.20 per gallon from their own pockets.

In certain instances, they are compelled to buy over three gallons a day, when the schedule is tight.

There is however no indication that these policemen would be reimbursed for these expenses they make on fuel.

The Director of the Police Public Relations Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Akwasi Ofori, though would not confirm that there was a shortage of the product at the police workshop, noted that the police service had decided to manage its expenditure on fuel, in order to reduce waste in the system. This was when the paper contacted him.

He denied that the police service had been hit by a fuel crisis, insisting that they were only managing the fuel.

Quite apart from that, he said there was enough fuel to run the police vehicles and motorbikes.

Some pump attendants at a couple of these fuel stations visited by the paper, confirmed the issue of some of these police drivers and riders purchasing fuel at their end.