News
Capacity building is essential to healthcare regulations in Ghana- Dr Daniel Asamoah
A Health Inspector and a Public Health specialist at Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) says it is prudent for healthcare regulators to build their capacity to have the needed skills and knowledge to ensure health facilities acquire the required materials, tools and equipment to carry out their duty of offering the utmost care for the public.
According to him, such capacity building will upgrade their academic qualifications, right training in the skills and knowledge needed.
He made these revelations when speaking to Ghanaian Times after earning a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health from the Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management(LIUTEBM) in Lusaka, Zambia.
His dissertation was titled, “Healthcare Facilities Regulations in Ghana: Compliance and Challenges.”
“I have vast expertise and innovative approach to addressing key issues in Ghana’s health sector and my research is expected to contribute significantly to regulate healthcare and regulations including public health policy in Ghana and beyond,” he told the Ghanaian Times .
Work at HeFRA
Despite being a gospel artiste known in the Showbiz circles as ‘The Singing Prophet’ , Dr Asamoah has built a reputation as a respected professional in health regulations, healthcare facility establishment in the country and developed standard operating procedures for monitoring unit in HeFRA and other healthcare facilities.
“At HeFRA ,I created a database for all health facilities for the agency, reviewed all old files under the private hospitals and maternity home board and migrated them onto HeFRA while also developing the first version of the inspection and monitoring visit forms for the agency,” he said.
Way Forward
Dr Asamoah noted that he remains a strong force in health regulations and will continue to contribute and seek the best healthcare facilities for the country and beyond.
Other awardees
Eleven other Ghanaians also received their PhDs at the event .
They are Dr Jennifer Andoh, Dr Mabel Afi Togbe, Dr Catherine Armah, Dr Gifty Dede Mateko Angmor , St Augustina Ampah and Dr Hafez Adam Taher ,PhD in Public Health.
In Accounting and Finance, Dr Felix Ahima-Adonteng bagged the enviable title, while Dr Raphael John Marfo was awarded PhD. in Management.
Dr Isaac Setordzi and Joseph Okine also received their PhDs in International Business and Project Management, respectively.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
Mrs Patience Antonio, a Child and Family Development Advocate, has called for a national campaign to reduce the growing reliance on breast milk substitutes among nursing mothers in Ghana.
According to Mrs Antonio, scientific evidence shows that breastfeeding improves a child’s emotional stability, boosts intelligence, strengthens the immune system, and provides long-term health benefits. She made these remarks in an interview with The Spectator in Accra last week, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding for a child’s overall development.
She explained that breastfeeding is not just a biological act of feeding but a key emotional and developmental bridge between mother and child. She also highlighted the need for the recommended six-month maternity leave period to ease the pressure on mothers to return to work prematurely.
“Breastfeeding creates intimacy and trust. It assures the baby of love and security, which becomes the foundation for their emotional health,” Mrs Antonio noted, warning that abandoning exclusive breastfeeding could have long-term implications on children’s social and emotional wellbeing.
Consequently, she called for a minimum of five months of fully paid maternity leave for Ghanaian mothers to enable effective breastfeeding, bonding, and healthier child development. She also urged workplaces to implement family-friendly policies, including private spaces for breastfeeding, flexible working arrangements for nursing mothers, and stronger support systems for new parents.
Mrs Antonio further encouraged families and society to actively support mothers during breastfeeding, stressing that many women struggle due to lack of assistance at home or the pressure to return to work too soon. She emphasized, “If we want a healthier, emotionally stable generation, then we must make breastfeeding a priority and support mothers to do it without stress.”
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Spectator
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The Nanvili Community School in the Mion District of the Northern Region is facing severe infrastructural challenges, affecting teaching and learning for pupils in the area.
The school, which serves five surrounding communities with a total of 58 pupils, has deteriorated to the extent that many children have stopped attending classes. Poor classroom conditions and the lack of desks have made teaching and learning difficult. During a visit to the school, the gate-free classrooms were found filled with goat and sheep droppings.
During the rainy season, both teachers and pupils are often cut off from the school due to bad roads and flooding. Teaching activities are frequently suspended for weeks, negatively affecting academic performance.
The Assemblyman for the area, Mr. Dawuni Mutawakil, expressed concern, noting that the situation is worrying since these pupils are expected to compete with their counterparts in urban areas who have access to better facilities. He added that due to limited space, classes have been merged, with pupils from Primary One and Two, Three and Four, and Five and Six sharing the same classrooms.
The Chief of Nanvili, Abu Kassim, also appealed to the government and non-governmental organisations to come to the aid of the community. He emphasized that the current state of the school discourages children from nearby communities from attending.
Both the Chief and Assemblyman have called for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure and provide furniture for the pupils to ensure quality education for children in the Nanvili area.
By Geoffrey Buta, Nanvili, Northern Region
Spectator
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