“Electoral Officials & Polling agents to swear before a magistrate”- says EC

The Electoral Commission, EC, says it was highly determined to conduct a much credible election come December 7.

To demonstrate this sense of commitment, the commission has adopted a number of strategies to equip its staff to adequately prepare them for the task ahead.

Speaking to Radio Ghana in Bolgatanga, the Deputy Director In-Charge of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the EC, Alexander Poku Akubia said the commission through a credible selection process, has engaged first degree and master holders to represent as Returning Officers, Presiding Officers, and Polling Assistance.

According to him, they have received in-depth training and made to swore before a magistrate to affirm their commitment to the electoral process.

He said polling agents will not be left out.

Focusing on the eligibility criteria, Mr. Poku Akubia told Radio Ghana’s Correspondent Isaac Asare, that the commission intend using collation officers who are mathematically inclined to do the collation and disclosed that this time round, there will be a projection of an electronic score board to display election results at the full glare of electorates.

The move, he noted is to ensure transparency and this shall take place at the collation centers so that as the results trickle in from the polling stations, what is being collated will be projected on a large electronic screen.

Mr. Poku-Akubia who was satisfied with the level of publicity undertaken by the EC said public education was ongoing and that a number of voter educators shall be deployed to the smaller units within the communities to educate people on the electoral processes.

He tasked the media to adhere strictly to their professional ethics and use civil language in their reportage.

He moreover, warned them against the misuse of terminologies that have the tendency to incite violence.

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UDS reduces Medical Programme from seven to six years

The Academic Board of the University for Development Studies, UDS, has reduced the intake of students admitted for the 2016/17 academic year to pursue Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

 The reduction is necessitated by a change in duration of the said programmes from seven to six years.  

 As a result, the yearly intake of students into the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery Programme which consistently hovered around hundred students has seen a significant decline.

 Explaining the rationale for the sudden change, the Vice Chancellor for the UDS, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teye said the decision taken by the school’s governing body is to enable the School of Medicine and Health Sciences run a conventional medical programme as pertained in other medical schools in Ghana and other developed countries. 

Prof Ayum-Teye was addressing matriculants at the 24^th matriculation ceremony of the UDS Navrongo campus.

Background

In line with the requirements set out by the National Accreditation Board, a total of six thousand, 897 applicants gained admission to pursue various graduate and undergraduate degree and diploma programmes for this year.  

 This is out of ten thousand, 447 applications received when the university advertised for qualified applications to apply for admission in the first week of January, 2016. 

The Navrongo campus of the school was able to honour admission to only 344 students to undertake degree programmes at the Faculty of Applied Sciences and Faculty of Mathematical Sciences.

 Administering the oath to formally usher in freshmen and women, the Vice Chancellor of the UDS, Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye congratulated the matriculants for sailing through the admission process considering the cumbersome nature of the online registration introduced this year. 

He urged the fresher’s to concentrate on their studies and set their priorities right because there is no better time to plan their future than now. 

Prof. Ayum Teye further advised the students not to associate themselves with occultism and unregistered student groups apart from legitimate students’ clubs and associations duly recognized by the office of the Dean of Students Affairs.

 Touching on the prospects of the school, Prof Ayum Teye said in a bid to roll out and expand the programme menu of the university, the school of Engineering established at the Nyankpala campus last year has ensured the admission of the first batch of students for the 2016/17 academic year to pursue degree programmes in Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Engineering.

 Moreover, the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resource has been rebranded and renamed Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment. 

He said the faculty will now have six academic departments to run various degree programmes when its proposal given by the Executive Committee of the Academic Board is accorded the necessary accreditation. 

Prof Ayum Teye also announced plans by university to provide clinics on all campuses with the exception of the Tamale Campus, where management is tirelessly working to put up one.

 Additionally, the construction of the Ghana Universities Super-annuation Scheme hostel on the Tamale campus is almost complete and students have already been allocated rooms. 

The edifice which is expected to accommodate over 690 students upon completion, comes with an ultra-modern facilities such as pharmacy, shopping mall and laundry among others. 

The effort, he said, forms part of the modest gains geared towards improving the welfare of students on the campuses of the UDS. 

The 24^th matriculation ceremony was attended by deans and directors of the UDS among other key dignitaries. 

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Survey indicates 32 % health facilities lack access to regular flow of water

Health experts at this year’s Global hand-washing day at Bongo in the Upper East Region have underlined the growing need for all to exercise good sanitation, hygiene and proper hand-washing with soap as they are essential in the provision of quality healthcare delivery.

Addressing a durbar to commemorate the day, the President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association GRMA, Mrs. Joyce Jetuah observed that the lack of access to clean water and hygiene services in healthcare facilities constitute essential building blocks for good health, thereby increasing the rate of infection among newborn babies and mothers.

According to her, survey has it 32 percent of health facilities in the country lacks access to regular flow of water, a situation, he noted, calls for urgent action to improve water, sanitation and hygiene in health facilities.

Background

The WHO has established that 38 percent of hospitals and clinics in low and middle income countries worldwide do not have regular access to potable water with majority not having basic private toilets and soap for hand-washing.

In Sub-Saharan African countries, 42 percent of health facilities equally lacks access to water.

Though the figures do not reflect whether the water supply is constant, the WHO estimates that of those healthcare facilities that have some form of clean water supply, around half, do not have reliable water supply.

In Ghana, about 32 percent of such facilities do not have adequate safe water to work with.

The lack of these basic frontline defences in the battle against infection raises valued questions as to whether such establishments could serve as healthcare facilities.

In the Upper East Region, the situation is not different as there is often no constant clean water supply, toilets and hand-washing facilities in most community health post, particularly CHPs compound.

With no readily available sources of clean water to clean the hospital wards or hands, healthcare facilities have now become a breeding ground for infection with health workers transmitting diseases unknowingly from one person to the other.

In commemoration of this year’s Global Hand-washing Day at Bongo, various speakers renewed calls for improvement to water, sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.

In a brief statement, the President of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association, Mrs. Joyce Jetuah reiterated that without water, both patients and healthcare workers are at risk of having infection including mothers and newborn babies.

She expressed regret about the rate of neonatal deaths from sepsis and tetanus in deprived health facilities of the country and attributed them to insanitary conditions coupled with lack of potable water supply.

Mrs. Jetuah, however implored all to support the global goals of the SDG in the quest to ensuring healthy lives and wellbeing for all by 2030.

The Programs Manager of Wateraid Ghana, Sulemana Bello, seized the platform to highlight the achievements of the organization since its establishment 30 years ago.

He said despite its fulfilling results in its thematic areas, the advocacy and hygiene promotion activities have built the capacity of communities to engage duty bearers and supported them to fully benefit from having improved access to Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Health,WASH.

According to him, adequate water, good sanitation and proper hand-washing are essential to effective healthcare everywhere.

Mr. Sulemana called for more political priority and more funding to be devoted to improving quality healthcare to ensure that no `health facility is forced to work under terrible condition.

He said Wateraid was teaming up with other health professionals to ensure the provision of toilet facilities and good hygiene in deprive health centres to prevent newborn babies and mother from life threatening infections experienced each year.

Some staff of the Ghana Nurses and Midwives Association led by Freda Alowri, of Feo CHPs compound gave a presentation in the Ghanaian context to highlight the need for adequate WASH, services at health facilities.

The event which was chaired by the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area,Naba Salifu Alemyarum saw the presence of health professionals including the newly posted District Director of Health, Rosemond Azure.


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