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

Many Ghanaians are dying as a result of consuming unhealthy diets, therefore nutritional experts have raised concerns about this development.

These deaths are linked to hypertension, diabetes, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases which according to the experts are lifestyle-driven illnesses occurring as a result of the consumption of such unhealthy foods.

According to Dr. Charles Apprey, a nutritional biochemist and lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), “the Ghanaian plate is changing dangerously – from kontomire, abomu (local stew) and abɛkwan (palm soup) to fries, sodas, and pizza.”

These were revealed at a training workshop for media professionals in Kumasi last Thursday. It was organised by the Ghana Public Health Association in collaboration with the Coalition of Actors for Public Health Action (CAPHA).

At the workshop, experts issued a stark call for Ghana to urgently tax unhealthy foods and subsidise healthier options if it hopes to stem the tide of preventable deaths.

NOTICE
Build resilient health systems; foster multisectoral collaboration; and secure sustainable funding.

His recommendation of front-of-pack labelling (FOPL) as a tried-and-true technique is commendable as he says that warning labels and traffic-light systems in South Africa, Mexico, Chile, and the United Kingdom (UK) have reduced purchases of high-sugar and high-salt products.

“More than 94,000 Ghanaians died from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), a figure, which experts warn, are not just a statistic but a silent epidemic eroding the nation’s future.

“What stops us as a country from taxing these unhealthy foods, build silos in our markets, and reduce their consumption?” Dr. Apprey challenged, arguing that fiscal measures could save thousands of lives.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicated that in 2016, globally, NCDs account for 71 per cent of all deaths, and Ghana mirrors this trend with about 45 percent of national deaths linked to the above diseases.

He therefore proposes a five-point agenda to reduce exposure risks such as poor diet; strengthen early detection and management; build resilient health systems; foster multisectoral collaboration; and secure sustainable funding.

To create a healthy-enabling food environment where the healthier choice becomes the easier choice, Dr. Apprey called for bans on junk food advertisement during children’s TV programming, restrictions on celebrity endorsements, and limits on outdoor advertising near schools.

The Spectator is concerned about the high prevalence of NCDs, therefore we appeal to Ghanaians to embrace the consumption of healthier food and work towards the reduction of NCDs in the country.