News
Central Regional Health Director urges heightened Ebola surveillance as supportive visits continue
The Central Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Mrs. Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko, has urged health workers across the region to heighten surveillance, strengthen preparedness and remain vigilant in the fight against the Ebola virus.
She described the reported outbreak in Nigeria as a wake-up call for health managers and frontline workers in Ghana, particularly in the Central Region, to intensify preparedness and develop effective response plans to contain any potential outbreak.
Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko made the call during her ongoing supportive visits to the Effutu Municipal Health Directorate, Winneba Municipal Hospital, Trauma and Specialist Hospital, Gomoa East District Health Directorate and St. Gregory Catholic Hospital.
The visits form part of engagements initiated by the Regional Director to assess healthcare delivery, identify operational challenges and provide support to health facilities across the region.
She was accompanied by members of the Senior Management Committee (SMC), including the Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr. Jojo Cobbinah; Deputy Director of Clinical Care, Dr. Mrs. Agnes Achiamaa Anane; Regional Public Relations Officer, Mr. Georges Fritz Doe; and Deputy Regional Public Relations Officer, Mr. Erasmus Solomon.
Strengthening Public Education and Outbreak Preparedness
Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko emphasized the importance of public education in preventing and controlling infectious disease outbreaks, noting that inadequate awareness and misinformation could undermine efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.
She therefore urged health facilities to intensify public education on Ebola and other infectious diseases while ensuring that staff remain alert to suspected cases and comply with established surveillance and reporting protocols.
She also encouraged the public to take hand hygiene seriously and practice other recommended infection prevention and control measures.
The facilities visited assured the Regional Director and her team of their readiness to respond to potential outbreaks.
The Medical Director of St. Gregory Catholic Hospital, Dr. Laryea Yemoh, disclosed that the facility had designated an area specifically for managing suspected cases requiring isolation. He however appealed for the deployment of additional medical officers to the region to meet growing healthcare needs.
Engagement With Frontline Workers
During engagements with the various Municipal and District Health Management Teams and facility managers, Dr. Biritwum-Nyarko acknowledged the operational challenges confronting health facilities and commended health workers for their dedication.
Key concerns raised included inadequate staffing, shortages of equipment and logistics, and increasing workload on health personnel. The challenges, particularly the need for some staff to work double shifts, were noted as contributing to staff fatigue and affecting service delivery.
The Regional Director encouraged facility managers to continue exploring practical measures to address operational gaps while ensuring efficient use of available resources.
She also called on Human Resource Managers to strengthen monitoring of staff on study leave to ensure compliance with approved arrangements. She expressed concern about instances where staff reportedly failed to attend their approved programmes of study, resulting in audit infractions and issues requiring attention by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Heads of the various facilities, including Dr. Douglas Amponsah of Winneba Municipal Hospital, Dr. Paulette Brown, Winneba Municipal Director of Health Service, Mr. Felix Adipare, Gomoa East District Director of Health Service, and Dr. Nathaniel Tetteh, Clinical Coordinator of the Trauma and Specialist Hospital, expressed appreciation to the Regional Director and her team for the visits.
They described the engagements as timely and helpful, noting that the visits provided an opportunity to share challenges directly with regional management.
The supportive visits will continue across other districts and health facilities in the Central Region as part of the Regional Directorate’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and supporting frontline workers.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened applications for members interested in contesting as its parliamentary candidates in the 2028 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the party said interested members must declare their intention to contest between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
According to the statement signed by the party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, prospective candidates must complete an online form within the specified period.
The party said a non-refundable application fee of GH¢5,000 would be charged to each prospective candidate.
It added that all applicants would undergo vetting and screening to determine their eligibility to contest on the party’s ticket.
The NPP announced plans to organise capacity-building workshops for prospective candidates in December 2026. The workshops will be held across the Northern, Middle and Southern zones, with details of the venues to be announced later.
The party stressed that the guidelines would apply to all prospective candidates, including sitting NPP Members of Parliament who wish to contest again.
It further warned aspirants against starting campaign activities following the opening of the application process.
According to the statement, the existing directive prohibiting campaign activities remains in force until the party gives official clearance.
It cautioned that anyone who violates the directive would face appropriate sanctions under the party’s constitution and regulations.
The NPP said the process was designed to promote fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all aspirants as it prepares to select candidates for all 276 constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections.
It urged prospective candidates to follow the guidelines and conduct themselves with discipline and respect for one another throughout the process.
The party said its broader objective was to strengthen unity within its ranks and rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
eputy Foreign Minister accompanies Veep to Shanghai to champion Global South reform, industrial drive
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, accompanied Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on a successful working visit to Shanghai, China, from 15th to 19th October 2026, at the invitation of the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The highlight of the visit was the 2026 Global South Academic Forum held on 17th October, which brought together over 200 scholars, policymakers, political party leaders and media professionals from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asserted that political independence is only truly the beginning, stating that “winning political power and governing effectively are related but not the same responsibility.” She called for stronger South-South cooperation, multilateralism and reform of the global financial architecture to end debt traps, ensure fair risk assessments and promote climate policies that respect different national circumstances.
On 18th October, she addressed a business forum with Chinese investors, linking Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy policy to industrialization. Warning that training youth without factories creates unemployment, she appealed for factories to be established in Ghana to serve the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market, with priority on value addition in cocoa processing, shea butter, cashew, coconut and timber.
On October 19, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, hosted a dinner at the Shangri-La for the Vice-President, attended by members of the Ghanaian community and business leaders, who praised the thorough preparation by the Ghana Embassy staff for the visit.
Throughout the trip, Mr. Quayson coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to align the engagements with Ghana’s jobs and transformation agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
