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334 health workers in UWR receive incentive packages

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Dr Punguyire speaking at the meeting
Incentive packages to entice staff of the Ghana Health Service to accept postings to deprived areas have been instituted in the Upper West Region (UWR).
In all, a total of 334 staff serving in deprived communities in the UWR have been given study leave to pursue further training in the next academic year.
In addition to this package, some 508 clinical staff serving in various capacities in deprived areas were promoted last year to the next grade ahead of their colleagues in the cities.
The Regional Director for Health Services in the region, Dr. Damien Punguyire, speaking at the annual review meeting of the Regional Health Directorate at Wa, said the incentive systems were to attract more staff to rural areas.
The meeting brought together stakeholders to deliberate on the successes and challenges of the service in the region.
Dr. Punguyire projected that the difficulty in getting people to accept postings to deprived areas would be eliminated if staff were motivated with such incentives to help improve nurse and doctor to population ratios, respectively.
With the posting of 20 more doctors to the region, he noted that the doctor-to-patient ratio stood at one doctor to 9,897 patients and said the increase would boost healthcare delivery in the region.
Touching on the theme for the meeting, the director was upbeat about the number of pregnant women who attended antenatal care and said it had led to a decline in maternal mortalities from 28 in 2021 to 16 last year.
He mentioned that a lot more people were becoming aware of their Human Immuno Virus (HIV) status, and 88 per cent of them were undergoing antiretroviral therapy.
He said data from the region suggested that access to health services is not a problem, but the quality of the services is; hence, the focus should be on access to quality health services.
The Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, said that despite the remarkable strides made in reducing maternal and infant mortality, it was sad to know that about 300,000 women the world over died as a result of pregnancy-related problems.
He called for a responsive healthcare delivery system to augment the government’s efforts at providing the necessary human resources and infrastructure to eliminate maternal mortalities.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
News
Police arrest former boxer Ayitey Powers over alleged death threat on NSA boss

The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested former professional boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as “Ayitey Powers,” over an alleged threat of death against the Director-General of the National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo.
According to the Police, the 46-year-old former boxer was arrested on Monday, August 24, 2026, in connection with the alleged threat.
The Police said the arrest followed a video circulating on social media in which Ayitey Powers is alleged to have issued the threat against Mr Ampofo.
He is currently in Police custody and is assisting with investigations.
The Accra Regional Police Command said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged threat and determine the appropriate action to be taken in accordance with the law.
The Command has urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information about the matter while the investigation continues.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Afenyo Markin sues Sammy Gyamfi, Multimedia for alleged defamation

Minority Leader in Parliament Alexander Afenyo Markin has sued the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, and Multimedia Group Limited over alleged defamatory comments made against him on the Newsfile programme.
In a writ filed at the High Court in Accra, Mr Afenyo Markin is seeking GH¢15 million in damages, an apology and retraction of the statements, among other reliefs.
The suit follows comments allegedly made by Mr Gyamfi during the Saturday, August 22, 2026 edition of Newsfile, hosted by Samson Lardy Anyenini.
According to the statement of claim, Mr Gyamfi described Mr Afenyo Markin as an “extortionist” while responding to a question about GoldBod’s reported profits and its position on losses arising from its operations.
The plaintiff claims that Mr Gyamfi repeated the allegation when the host sought clarification on whether he stood by the description.
Mr Afenyo Markin further claims that Mr Gyamfi challenged him to sue him and insisted that the allegation was true.
The plaintiff argues that the statements created the impression that he engages in extortion, uses his political influence to put improper pressure on public institutions and officials, and conducts himself in a manner inconsistent with the standards expected of a lawyer and public office holder.
He denies the allegations and maintains that he is not an extortionist and has never engaged in the conduct alleged by Mr Gyamfi.
The Minority Leader also argues that the comments were made maliciously and were presented as facts without evidence being disclosed.
He claims the statements have damaged his reputation, professional standing and public image, particularly because of his position as a senior political figure and legal practitioner.
The suit also names Multimedia Group Limited as a defendant because, according to the plaintiff, the alleged defamatory comments were broadcast through JoyNews and subsequently circulated on social media platforms, including X, Facebook and YouTube.
Mr Afenyo Markin claims Multimedia failed to stop the comments or deactivate Mr Gyamfi’s microphone after the allegations were made.
He is therefore asking the court to award him general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as GH¢15 million in compensation and legal costs.
He is also seeking an order compelling the defendants to issue a full, unconditional and unequivocal retraction and public apology.
The plaintiff wants the apology and retraction to be given similar prominence and reach as the original publication, including through JoyNews and the social media platforms where the comments were disseminated.
He is further seeking a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory statements or words with a similar meaning.
The writ requires the defendants to enter an appearance within eight days after being served.
It warns that failure to do so could result in judgment being entered in their absence.
The case was filed by lawyer Paa Kwesi Abaidoo of Dehyena Chambers on behalf of Mr Afenyo Markin.
By: Jacob Aggrey




