Ho Municipal Hospital records Zero maternal death

By

-

July 17, 2014

Mad. Ntoso presenting award to Dr. Kumi

The Ho Municipal hospital in Volta region which was hitherto regarded as a ‘death camp’ for expectant mothers has for the first time, recorded zero maternal death in the last one year.

The facility attained this feat between June 2013 and June 2014, down from 14 deaths in 2012, and three deaths in the first half of 2013.

To this end, nine midwives and two doctors were on Tuesday honoured by the Queenmothers of Asogli traditional area for their efforts in reducing maternal mortality.

At the maiden award ceremony, the Queenmothers honoured Dr Lawrence Kumi, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital and Dr Tamara Alvarez Ramirez from Cuba, for their ‘good leadership and dedication’ in changing the image of the Hospital.

Other awardees included Madam Innocentia Anthonio, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Maternity ward, Elizabeth Kpesese, Victoria Aggor, Elizabeth Klu, Agnes Asigbe, and four others.

The awardees were selected through the recommendations of mothers who attended the hospital in a two month radio phone-in programme.

The Queenmother of Ho-Dome and initiator of the award, Mama Attrato II disclosed that the Asogli Queenmothers two years ago planned to protest against the rate at which pregnant women were losing their lives at the facility.

She therefore described the hospital’s feat as a great achievement, worthy of celebration and commended the midwives for turning the situation around.

Awardees in a Group photo

Mama Atrato also noted the award ceremony would be extended to other health facilities.

Dr Joseph Nuertey, Volta Regional Director of Health Services, lauded staff of the Hospital for changing the hospital’s image to a facility of choice for pregnant women.

He also asked them to sustain the effort to drastically minimize maternal and neonatal deaths, in order for the country to achieve the Millennium Development Goal four and five, which seeks to reduce neonatal and maternal mortality ratio by three quarters by 2015.

Dr. Nuertey further disclosed, though the region has the least number of midwives, skilled delivery had started going up from 45.6 per cent in 2013 to 47.9 per cent at half year, with stillbirths decreasing from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent. Whiles neonatal deaths had also decreased from five per 1000 to 3.1 per 1000.

He therefore urged other traditional areas to adopt the award scheme to help reduce maternal mortality.

Madam Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Volta Regional Minister, applauded the Queenmothers for the initiative and asked midwives to put their duty above personal gains.

Madam Innocentia Anthonio, a Principal Nursing Officer in charge of the Maternity ward, on behalf of other awardees thanked the Asogli Queenmothers for the recognition given them.

She assured all and sundry that the award has renewed their commitment in working together to improve the lives of mothers and their babies towards the attainment of the MDGs 4 and 5.

Advocacy Group calls on Volta Chiefs to lead region’s renaissance

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

July 17, 2014

0

Voice of Volta Executives

A Volta Region interest advocacy group, ‘Voice of Volta’ has called for the reawakening of traditional authorities and indigenes of the Volta region to push for the total development of the region.

According the group, despite the region is endowed with both natural and human resources; it is still slugging behind in almost every facet of development, hence the need for a renaissance, which would propel everyone into action to uplift the region unto a better developmental pedestal.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Ho last Friday, the group’s Secretary, Mr Charles Siayor stated that, the renaissance should be culturally driven by traditional authorities in the region, who “in contemporary times, lead the way in fighting underdevelopment”.

He further stated that “No nation or people could move forward if its body-politics is incoherent” and called for a strong bonding between chiefs and their people as a precursor to creating the atmosphere, for the take-off everybody was asking for.

This, according to Mr. Siayor could be the only way to “raise a formidable front as a people to dialogue with governments and local authorities to influence the development agenda of the region”.

The group also bemoaned the decay in societal values, which was breeding disrespect for traditional authority. “We condemn the frivolous anti-chieftaincy remarks on the streets and public places and we are utterly opposed to disparaging remarks about chiefs on radio.”

Mr Siayor therefore called for “a thorough sanitizing of chief-subject relations based on respect for traditional authorities”.

Interim chairman of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Ashigbi, also entreated indigenes of Volta region elsewhere to contribute towards the region’s development by investing in economic activities back home which create jobs for the people.

Present at the Press Briefing were representative of the Group across the region.

Gov’t yet to pay Contractors working on Ho-Adidome Road

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

July 17, 2014

0

Mr. Quarshigah (R) briefing Mr. Bani (L)

Contractors working on the Ho -Adidome trunk road in the Volta region are yet to receive monies from the ministry of finance to enable them complete work on the road, three weeks after President Mahama announced the release of funds to that effect during a day’s inspection tour of the road.

This was disclosed on Sunday to the Chief of Staff Mr. Prosper Douglas Bani when paid a day’s working visit to the region to ascertain the progress of work on the road since the president’s last visit.

The resident engineer in charge of the project, Mr. Divine Quarshigah, told the chief of staff and his entourage that, though some culvert works are ongoing on the road, work is progressing at slow pace due to the delays in the release of funds to the contractors, Ussuya Ghana Ltd, PMC and Jani-CORP enable them fully mobilise back to site.

‘The contractors have not received any payment after the president came’ he said and explained further that his checks as of last Friday revealed that the payment process has left the Ghana Highway authority to the finance ministry.

The delay in the release of the monies to contractors according to the resident engineer is one the major challenges hampering the speedy completion of the 48km road, with the second challenge being heavy rains which disrupt work because of the porous nature of some portions of the area.

A box culvert under construction on the road

The road which is packaged in three lots, comprises of an 18.6km stretch from Ho to Adaklu-Hlekpe for lot one and is being executed by Ussuya Gh Ltd, a 14.4km stretch between Adaklu-Helekpe and Adaklu-Ahunda for lot two, being worked on by PMC constructions and the third lot being constructed by Jani-CORP Gh Ltd is a 15km stretch between Adaklu-Ahunda and Mafi-Kpedzeglo.

The rate of completion of the three lots according to Mr. Quarshigah, stands at 48.5 per cent for Lot one, 50.2 for Lot two and 41 per cent for Lot three.

Despite the delays, the resident engineer however assured the chief of staff and his entourage that the road will be fully completed by the end of December 2014.

Responses

The chief of staff, Mr. Prosper Douglas Bani in response, said ‘I don’t want payment to be an issue after the president’s visit’ and promised to follow up on the process to ensure that the contractors gets the monies to complete the road on schedule.

This, he said will alleviate the inconveniences caused by the closure of the Adomi bridge for major rehabilitation to residents.

Madam Fafa Adinyira, Madam. Mary Agbenyenu and Mr. Sky Ganaku, the Chief executives of Ho Municipal, Adaklu and Central Tongu districts respectively, who also accompanied the Chief of Staff on his tour with the deputy regional minister, Mr. Francis Ganyaglo, raised concerned about the quality of materials being use for the construction and urged the resident engineer to ensure the use of standard materials to ensure the longevity of the road when completed.

The chief of staff, who also inspected a 100 acre land earmarked for the construction of a regional sports complex and site for the aerodrome, reiterated the president’s commitment towards fulfilling all promises made to the region, including the eastern corridor road project.

He therefore urged residents to support government in its quest to bring development to all parts of the country including the Volta region, stating that ‘by the next couple of years, we should see tremendous development of the region.’

Other persons who accompanied the chief of staff included MP for Ho central, Mr. Benjamin Kpodo, Regional Chairman and Secretary of NDC respectively, Mr. Kwesi Aboagye and Mr. Simon Amegashie-Viglo as well as a host of other Municipal and district chief executives in the region.

click for Dailyguide publication

Chinese ambassador toured UHAS permanent campus

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

June 29, 2014

0

Ambassador Buohong, (2nd right) being briefed by site officials

The Chinese ambassador to Ghana madam Sun Baohong last week inspected construction work on the permanent campus of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Sokode-Lokoe near Ho, in the Volta region.

The project which is been executed by a Chinese Technical team, Yanjian Group, includes the construction of lecture halls, auditorium, multi-purpose science laboratory, administration block and residential facilities for both staff and students and it is expected to be ready for occupation by 2015.

Ambassador Baohong who was impressed with the progress of construction work, said the project is the ‘first large-scale’ China aid construction in the Volta region and expressed confidence in the Yanjian Group to do a good job, as it has done with previous ones including the Foreign Affairs Ministry office complex in Accra.

She urged the workers to exert work hard to ensure smooth and early completion of the project, which according to her is ‘distinct’, because of its propensity to drive the development of new communities in the area.

The Chinese ambassador was accompanied on the tour by chiefs of Asogli traditional area, led by the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV, the Volta regional minister, Madam Hellen Ntoso and her deputy Francis Ganyaglo.

A representative of Yanjian Group, the Chinese firm executing the project complained about the poor access road to the site and delays in supply of electricity and water to speed up work on the remaining sites of the project.

The Volta regional minister, Madam Helen Ntoso assured the contractors of efforts by the regional coordinating council to tackle the challenges being faced at site.

Ambassador Buohong who was on her first official visit to the Volta region since assuming office three months ago, also commissioned 25-seater ICT laboratory funded by the Chinese embassy at the Philip Akpo memorial J.H.S in Ho.

The University of Health and Allied Sciences, currently operates from temporary facilities Ho and Hohoe.

Rotary club of Ho gets new executives

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

June 29, 2014

0

Mr. Dogbegah (R) being sworn into office

The Ho chapter of the world acclaimed charity club, Rotary International have inducted into office new executives to run the affairs of the club for next rotary year, (July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015).

The ceremony which took place at the Rotary community centre in Ho last week saw Mr. Rockson Dogbegah, chairman of Berock Ventures Ltd, an indigenous construction company, taking over from Madam Vivian Agbotse as president.

The rest are Mr. Kofi Tenaso Gbedemah, a civil society activist as vice president, Dr. Cyril Fayose, President of the E.P university college, secretary, Mr. Douglas Wagba, a former regional manager of defunct Ghana Telecom, as treasure and Madam Delali Amedume as sergeant-at-hand.

New directors of the club were also announced including Mr. Frederick Duodu Takyi, as the Communication director.

Delivering his inaugural speech, the new president, Mr. Rockson Dogbegah, declared that the Rotary of Ho under his tenure would be ‘lighted up and fired up’.

He said a 5-year strategic plan will be developed to drive the club’s to the next level and called for the sacrifice and dedication of members in that direction.

He pledged to consolidate the vibrancy injected in the club by the outgoing executives and commended their efforts in the rejuvenation and doubling the club’s membership from 14 to 28 members.

He announced that capacity building programmes will be organised for both club members and the community in order to enhance the club’s image and also attract new members.

L-R,Mr. Gbedemah, Dr, Fayose & Madam Amedume

Mr. Dogbegah disclosed further the club will form strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders including NGOs to support various community based intervention activities, such as polio eradication, disease prevention, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, as well as basic education and literacy.

He also said the new executive will work hard to open a new rotary chapter in Aflao; whiles a website will also be established for the club to enhance effective information dissemination.

The out-going president Madam Vivian Agbotse expressed gratitude to club members, contributors and donors to the rotary foundation for their support during her tenure and call for similar support to the new executives.

China-Ghana ICT laboratory commissioned in Ho

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

June 25, 2014

0

An ultra-modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory has been inaugurated at the Ho Bankoe Philip-Akpo Memorial Junior High School (JHS) in the Volta Region.

The laboratory, which can accommodate 25 people and valued at GH¢1 million, was funded by the Chinese Embassy and equipped with computers and a projector with full internet connection.

At a brief and colourful ceremony on Tuesday to officially handover the facility to the school, the new Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, said the facility showed that China would continue to invest in projects to develop Ghana and expressed the hope that the gesture would further deepen the cordial relationship between the two countries.

She said, “China’s foreign aid and cooperation projects place more emphasis on improving the livelihood of people.”

She further disclosed that the ICT laboratory is the first project in Ghana to be implemented under the ‘China-Africa People-to-people Friendly Action’, a programme adopted at the 5^th Ministerial Conference of China-Africa cooperation forum in 2012.

The Chinese ambassador also presented 10 footballs and 30 schoolbags to the school for deprived children and pledged China’s continuous commitment to the development of the Volta Region and Ghana.

The Agbogbomefia of the Asogli traditional area, Togbe Afede XIV advised teachers and students to make good use of the facility to enhance their ICT skills and commended the Chinese embassy for the support.

He asked managers of the laboratory to make the facility available for use by other basic schools and interested persons in within the community.

Togbe Afede also tasked managers of the laboratory to install devices on the computers to barred children from accessing ‘inappropriate contents’.

Madam Hellen Ntoso, the Volta regional minister entreated the school authorities to develop a comprehensive maintenance plan to keep the facility in good shape.

Headmistress of the School, Madam Lydia Sedzro expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy for investing in the project and assured that both teachers and students would use the facility judiciously.

Bizzare! Man Hanged himself in Ho

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

June 23, 2014

0

Residents of Ho ‘Kablekordzi’ near PWD, in the Volta region last Saturday woke up to a bizarre news of a young man who hanged himself in a nearby forest plantation.

The unidentified man who is believed to be in his late twenties, body was found hanging on a tree in the plantation in a decomposing state by a young man from the community.

Narrating the story, the young man said he saw a strange object hanging on a tree a few meters away from where he was in the forest.

Frightened by the sight, the young man reported the incident to some residents living in the area who later reported the issue to the Police.

According to the eye-witness, the police officers were able to locate the body in the forest, but with no indication of a self-inflicted injury on the body.

The corpse has since been deposited at the morgue while the Police continue with their investigations.

Credit: Apkablie King-Nobert/Volta Premier FM

MTN ‘Y’ello Care’ Put Smiles on Faces of Underprivileged Pupils

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

June 20, 2014

0

Some 140 brilliant but needy pupils of the Ave-Dakpa D/A Basic School in the Akatsi-North district of the Volta region have been presented with school bags from the nation’s leading telecommunication network, MTN-Ghana, as part of its annual ‘21 days of Y’ello care’ programme.

The programme which is an employee volunteer initiative and held in June every year provided MTN Staff at the Ho office the opportunity to mentor the pupils and interact with their teachers on Thursday.

David Woasey, Volta regional leader of team MTN, said investing in education was a top priority for the leading telecom operator, hence this year’s theme ‘Investing in Education for All.

He commended the teachers for their relentless effort in shaping the future of the children and advised the pupils be disciplined and be serious with their books, stressing that “your book is your future.. So take your studies seriously”.

The bags which were made from recycled flexi MTN souvenirs by MTN-Ghana employees, have apartments for books, mathematical sets and other learning materials pupils may need at school.

The Headteacher of the Ave-Dakpa D/A Basic School, Mr. Korto Abeilekpor, described the gesture as a ‘great feeling’ and a morale boaster for the children, because “some pupils do not even have rubber bags for their books.”

An elated primary six pupil and a beneficiary, Kporvi Janet said the bag will help her properly safeguard her books especially in this raining season. “Now the rain will no longer wet my books and they can last long”.

The 21 days of ‘y’ello care programme is an annual employee volunteer initiative and affords MTN employees in all the 22 operating countries to volunteer their services and resources to support community enhancement projects.

MTN Ghana through its foundation as part of its corporate social intervention programmes (CSI) provided various educational infrastructure and facilities to schools across the country, including a 30-seater ICT Centre and Library for the Aborlove/Nolopi Junior High School in the Keta municipality in April last year.

‘Beware of fake Certificates’-NAB cautions public

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

May 25, 2014

0

The National Accreditation Board is raising alarm over the proliferation of fake certificates being awarded by some unaccredited institutions operating both within and outside the country.

Mr. Richard Kojo Adjei, Deputy Executive Secretary of NAB said the situation is gaining notoriety because of the proliferation of online programmes being run by institutions, most of which are located in the United States of America and China.

‘Some people pay huge sums of money for these programmes, only to be given worthless certificates’ he stated and advise individuals to always cross check the status of institutions with the regulatory body, if they are in doubt before enrolling.

Mr. Adjei gave the caution at the 5^th graduation ceremony of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC) in Ho over the weekend on the theme ‘embarking on ICT pathway in the 21^st century for advance Education’.

Mr. Adjei who described the university college as an ‘obedient’ institution and commended them for adhering to regulatory standards, further urged them to adopt internal quality assurance culture, which would permeate the structures of the institution through the effective use of ICT to ensure high standards.

Hon. Kofi Attoh, CEO of Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication, (GIFEC) in a key note address underscored the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in transforming all spheres of life including education and called for its adoption to enhance teaching and learning.

He said use of ICT in institutions of higher learning will ensure flexible and independent learning by students, while expanding the resource pool of both teachers and students for quality research and development.

He therefore called for the effective use of ICT in teaching and learning to propel national development.

Mr. S.W.K Buami & Dr. Fayose, EPUC Registrar n President

EPUC, which is under the mentorship of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), currently runs seven accredited programmes under the Schools of Business and Theology at the Ho and Peki campuses respectively.

Rev. Dr Cyril G.K. Fayose, President of EPUC, however disclosed in his report that, the university is awaiting approval from the regulatory body to introduce nine new programmes under the schools of Computer Science, Modern Language, Education, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences as well as Social Sciences by the start of the 2014/15 academic year.

He said in readiness for the introduction of the new programmes, thirty (30) new full-time lecturers have been recruited to beef up the existing faculty of 16 full-time and 14 part-time lecturers with 37 administrative and support staff.

As part of efforts to meet the infrastructure needs of the increasing student population, which currently stands at 1506 from 54 in 2007, the university is putting up a 2-storey lecture hall at Ho-Kpodzi with the support of E.P church, Dela Chapel.

Professor Joseph Ampiah Ghartey, Dean of the Faculty of Education at University of Cape Coast, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, commended EPUC for its steady progress in developing the nation’s human capital and assured it of UCC’s support and guidance until it attain fully fledge university status.

He also asked the graduating students to be focused and not to lose hope as they enter the world of work which is very turbulent.

Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, asked the EPUC to consider the establishment of School of Graduate studies, which will give opportunity to their graduates to acquire high degrees.

He also entreated the graduands to exhibit the knowledge, skills and values acquired during their training in their various endeavours.

A total of 331 students graduated with eight receiving first class honours. Some outstanding graudands were also honoured with Mr. Joseph Kwesi Agbeka adjudged the overall best graduating student.

“Bring Back Our Girls” demo hit Ho

By

Kwadwo Duodu

-

May 25, 2014

0

The global campaign, “Bring Back Our Girls” pushing for the return of over 200 kidnapped schoolgirls by the Boko Haram militants in the North-eastern Nigerian town of Chibok has hit the Volta regional capital of Ho over the weekend.

The campaign saw dozens of Christian and Moslem Women clad in mourning attires, including some school children embarking on a peaceful solidarity marched through the principal streets of Ho, from the RTC Park to the Pleasure Gardens, early Saturday morning. Among them was also the Municipal Chief Executive for Ho, Mrs. Fafa Adinyira.

They carried placards with inscriptions ‘Boko Haram, do not kill our daughters’, ‘our Nigerian sisters, we support you’, ‘away with terrorism’, ‘Africa is a united continent’, ‘release our sisters’, among others. They sang songs calling on the various stakeholders to join hands to search for the girls, who have being in abduction for over forty days.

Addressing the protesters at the Pleasure Gardens, Madam Lena Alai, Volta regional director of the department of Gender, said the Nigerian government to do everything within its power to ensure the safe release of the girls to their families, who are in constant agony and pain, adding that the financiers of Boko Haram should be fished out and sanctioned appropriately.

She further stated that militants’ insurgence in Nigeria is a threat to the rest of Africa, and called on the Chairperson of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, who is a woman to rally all women on the continent to condemn the atrocities of the Boko Haram, while the various heads of state takes steps to disband the group permanently.

Madam Alai also reminded the security agencies in Ghana to be on high alert at the borders especially the eastern border to prevent any spill over the monstrous group into the country, as the international community is intervenes.

Rev. Mrs. V.A Kporxa, president of the Ho Christian Women Intercessors Fellowship, called for continuous prayers for the safety of the girls and their families especially their mothers, who are going through a lot in these difficult times.

Some Moslem women also condemned Boko Haram and other terrorist groups who commit atrocities in the name of Islam, describing their activities a ‘un-Islamic.’

They said Islam is a religion of peace and disassociate it from minority terrorist groups, who are trying to hijacked religion.