Editorial
Environmental protection is necessary
One area that Ghanaians must pay attention to is how to care for and protect the environment in order to sustain it for the present and future generations.
It is the environment that gives us the needed space within which to operate and plan all programmes for the benefit of society. If the environment is not sustained, the lives of future generations will be threatened.
Again, if the environment is not well kept the present generation will also not be able to survive.
It is for this reason that issues such as environmental degradation, irresponsible mining, air pollution and the use of chemical to destroy the environment must be given serious attention, so as to ensure continuous survival of everyone in the country.
It is not only Ghanaians who should care about protection of the environment. Countries the world over are also expected to do same.
In Ghana today, the environment is being destroyed in a very irresponsible manner. Gutters are choked because of the irresponsible behaviour of residents who keep on throwing garbage in to them and drains.
Finding ourselves in the rainy season, these drains and gutters are now choked, causing over flow of water and filt into residential areas to destroy lives and property. These things must stop immediately and to be able to stop it, people have to be prosecuted.
The country must resort to rigid implementation of our environmental laws and bye-laws to serve as a deterrent to all those who are causing mayhem as far as environmental degradation is concerned.
The patriotic duty being performed by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Honourable Henry Quartey, is a worthy task that must be supported by each and every responsible person in this country. Similarly, environmental degradation caused by the activities of “galamsey” operators must be halted immediately.
Ghana is a beautiful country whose environment must be protected and all hands must be on deck. The forests, rivers, minerals, atmosphere and so on should be adequately protected for the present and future generations.
This is important because the environment is one of the greatest assets which nature has given us to manage.
Dear Editor,
I WRITE to condemn the circumstances under which an accident victim died recently after three major hospitals reportedly turned him away due to what has earned a place in our local parlance as ‘no bed syndrome.’
Reports suggested that this motor rider who got knocked by a vehicle was taken to three major hospitals – Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), and the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital – but they all claimed they had no beds.
But one may ask, would there ever be beds?
Such is the treatment Ghanaians endure every now and then when one visits our hospitals, especially the public ones which are run with the taxpayers’ money. Many a time when one visits the hospitals, the sight of patients admitted and lying on benches, and some sitting on chairs while receiving care, is visible to all; making one wonder why this particular motor rider was not admitted at any of the facilities, looking at his condition.
This leads to the reason for this letter, which is to bring out a perceived apathy against these motor riders, the majority of whom are referred to as ‘Okada’ riders.
Due to their recklessness on the roads and the inconvenience caused to commuters, people always speak ill about them; drivers equally have no regard for them. Every user of public transport would attest to this. These riders are blamed for every offence, even when it is obvious drivers may be at fault sometimes.
Motor riders have become like orphans on the road; people care less about them, and when they are unfortunately knocked down, no one cares about them.
This is the mischief our authorities and agencies, including the police, must seek to cure to make the road safe for all users.
These are young folks that want to make a living for themselves, and with no skill or education, ‘Okada’ rides have become their source of livelihood. They need the protection accorded drivers and commuters as well.
In other countries, some facilities have been provided to make their work safer, but in Ghana, we lack them, leaving them with no alternative than to share the available space with the cars.
What has happened should serve as a wake-up call on our authorities to aim to take a second look at the ‘Okada’ menace. With the numbers increasing, there should be a way to regulate them because no government would have the guts to ban it totally.
Drivers should be made to accept the reality that they are sharing the roads with them, and therefore the need for patience and tolerance.
For some of our hospitals, I suggest the Ministry of Health conduct their own investigations to see what patients go through in accessing medicare, which is even not for free.
Thank you, Editor, for the space.
F. Morgan, Kokrobite
Dear Editor,
THE heartbreaking death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah in a hit-and-run accident has exposed once again the failures in our health system.
Even more painful is the fact that his father had previously donated beds to some hospitals, yet when his son needed urgent care, he was moved from one facility to another because there were ‘no beds.’
This is not only tragic but unacceptable. How can a country lose its bright young citizens simply because hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment? The ‘no bed syndrome’ has become a national disgrace, and Charles’ death is a reminder that reforms cannot wait.
Our hospitals must be equipped to handle emergencies, and accountability must be enforced. If donations are made to improve facilities, then those facilities must serve the people when it matters most. Ghana cannot afford to keep losing lives to negligence and poor infrastructure.
Charles Amissah’s death should be the turning point. Let us honor his memory by fixing the system so that no family would suffer this kind of preventable loss again.
Princess Wonovi
Accra
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