Features
Ghana: Audacity of homosexuals
Homosexual conduct is criminalised by Ghana’s criminal laws.
Section 104 (1) (b) of Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) abhors consensual same-sex intercourse and prohibits it.
So, it is very clear that consensual same-sex relations is a criminal offence within the meaning of Ghana’s Criminal Offences Act.
The Sexual Offences Act also makes illegal, other sexual acts performed by heterosexuals, thus, suggesting that it is a criminal offence, punishable by the laws of Ghana, for a male to penetrate the anus (sodomy) or mouth of a female or a male with his penis.
Indeed, the only mode of sexual intercourse which does not offend Ghanaian law, is sexual intercourse through the vagina by penile penetration.
What then is homosexuality? It is a romantic attraction or sexual behaviour between members of same-sex or gender.
What is lesbianism too? It is also called sapphism or female homosexuality. It is the tendency of a human female to be emotionally and usually, sexually attracted to other females.
What is gay? Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. It also refers to the community, practices and cultures associated with homosexuality.
Is it natural as to be same-sex attracted? According to the Australian Psychological Society, being same-sex attracted is a natural as being opposite-sex attracted, and that it is not possible to force someone to change their sexuality through any psychological or medical means.
Who is a bisexual? It is romantic or sexual attraction towards both males and females or to more than one sex or gender.
And who is a heterosexual? A person sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex
Across cultures, most people are heterosexuals, with a minority of people having homosexual or bisexual orientation.
According to proponents of gayism, however, some people have difficulty accepting others who are different, whether it is because of their race, sex, sexuality or religion.
They claim that if you are being harassed, judged or made to feel bad about yourself by someone else because of your sexuality, remember that there is nothing wrong with you; and that the problem is the other person’s ignorance and intolerance.
The Humanist Association of Ghana says,” tonnes of research data and anthropological work inform that semi-sex behaviour existed in pre-colonial and pre-Islamic sub-Saharan Africa.
Painfully, we are now witnessing the intrusion of rotten and stinking European and American culture of homosexuality across the African continent.
The Humanist Association of Ghana contends that, “the wave of homophobia currently sweeping our country and large parts of the African continent is the result of works of bigoted homophobic Judeao-Christian missionaries.”
Others, however, vehemently disagree, insisting that “homosexuality today has become a cult; a club and a foundation.”
And some people are promoting and pumping billions of dollars into homosexuality, so that such unusual and abnormal behaviour, should be accepted by force by the world.
This is the strength of the danger and for which matter we must stand up against it as a nation.
It is instructive to recall that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights Ghana, (LGBTQI) as they call themselves, opened their office in Accra on January 31, 2021, with the express intent to spread its tentacles in the country.
The European Union in Ghana has openly thrown its full weight behind the LGBTQI+ promoters in the country, claiming that equality, tolerance and respect for one another are core values of the European Union.
Strong opposition against the emerging LGBTQI+ community in the country is gaining tap-roots. They include the clergy, traditional rulers and teacher unions. They strongly argue that homosexuality is not a rights issue.
They are, therefore, urging the state to disallow the LGBTQI+ community from operating in the country.
The National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, must be commended for its relentless battle against the planting of LGBTQI+ seeds on the fertile soil of Ghana.
The coalition advocates against the activities of LGBTQI+ movement in Ghana. It has called for the office to be closed.
Mr Moses Foh-Amoaning, Executive Secretary of the coalition says; “the existence of a LGBTQI+ office in Accra is illegal and an affront to the laws , traditions and customs of Ghana.”
Foh-Amoaning says, “Ghana has not signed any international law permitting the promotion of LGBTQI+ activities in the country,” stressing that “any attempt by anyone to promote the activities of the group amounts to illegality.”
Foh-Amoaning has chastised the international community in Ghana, “for promoting an act which is alien to the customs and traditions of Ghanaians and which infringes on the sovereignty of our state.”
“The actions of the LGBTQI+ movement is completely at variance with the laws of God as contained in the Holy Bible, concerning God’s plan of creation and the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and as ordained by God,” Rev. Professor Paul Frimpong Manso, President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, has said in a press statement he signed and issued in Accra on February 22, 2021.
As a nation, if we succumb to European and American homosexual pressures; if we compromise our consciences; if we mortgage our traditions; then history and posterity will deal bitterly with the current crop of our leaders.
Wherever we find ourselves as leaders in our society we must search our consciences clearly over the raging issue of homosexuality.
For, if we condone the emerging fire of homosexuality and betray the sacred trust reposed in us by our people, we will have done more harm to Ghana than the European imperialists, colonialists and missionaries did to the Gold Coast.
If we debase our nation’s integrity and traditions and barter them away; we will have become worse than the worst of the misguided chauvinistic imperialists.
Refreshingly, however, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, repeatedly says, “the activities of the LGBTQI+ in the country will never be legalised” under his presidency.
By G Frank Asmah
Features
The global challenge of medical malpractice
Introduction
Medical malpractice is a significant concern worldwide, with far-reaching consequences for patients, healthcare providers, and the overall healthcare system.
It is defined as a deviation from the standard of care that results in patient harm, and can take many forms, including misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, and inadequate patient care.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding medical malpractice, its consequences, and potential solutions.
The prevalence of
medical malpractice.
Medical malpractice is a widespread problem that affects patients in many countries. According to a study published in the Journal of Patient Safety, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in an estimated 251,000 deaths per year. Similarly, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that medical errors are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK.
Types of medical
malpractice
Medical malpractice can take many forms, including:
1. Misdiagnosis: Failure to accurately diagnose a patient’s condition, leading to delayed or inappropriate treatment.
2. Surgical errors: Mistakes made during surgery, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving instruments inside a patient.
3. Medication errors: Prescribing or administering the wrong medication, dose, or route of administration.
4. Inadequate patient care: Failure to provide adequate care, including neglecting to monitor patients, provide necessary treatment, or respond to patient concerns.
Consequences of medical malpractice:
Medical malpractice can have severe consequences for patients, including:
1. Physical harm: Patients may experience pain, suffering, and long-term health consequences.
2. Emotional trauma: Patients and their families may experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
3. Financial burden: Patients may incur significant medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs.
Solutions to medical malpractice:
To address the issue of medical malpractice, many countries have implemented reforms aimed at reducing the number of claims and improving patient safety. Some potential solutions include:
1. Tort reform: Limiting the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice cases.
2. Alternative dispute resolution: Using mediation or arbitration to resolve disputes outside of court.
3. Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs): Encouraging open communication between healthcare providers and patients, and providing fair compensation for injuries.
Conclusion
Medical malpractice is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach to address.
By understanding the prevalence, types, and consequences of medical malpractice, we can work towards creating a safer and more compassionate healthcare system.
Potential solutions, such as tort reform, alternative dispute resolution, and CRPs, offer promising approaches to reducing medical malpractice claims and improving patient safety.
References:
[1] Makary, M. A., & Daniel, M. (2016). Medical error—the third leading cause of death in the US. BMJ, 353, i2139.
[2] Vincent, C., Neale, G., & Woloshynowych, M. (2001). Adverse events in British hospitals: preliminary retrospective record review. BMJ, 322(7285), 517-519.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Life is like a quiz competition
I watched a quiz show on TV last Sunday, between two schools, Okuapeman and I think University Practice. After the first round, University Practice was leading with about 30 points and Okuapeman had nothing.
Then comes the second round of the intended four rounds of competition and at the end of the round, surprise, surprise, Okuapeman had 60 points and University Practice had either zero or 10.
In the final analysis, Okuapeman won the competition with 95 points to University Practice’s 90 or 93 points. Such is life and the mysteries of life, are difficult to fathom.
There are classmates that we thought could not amount to much in life and yet we become pleasantly surprised as time passed, about the vast improvement in their lives.
There were other mates who were obviously destined for the top, based on their academic prowess but became complete failures later on in life.
When I was in the primary school, there was a classmate who most of the time came first in the end of term exams. He was very brilliant and so he going further up the academic ladder through Secondary school, Sixth form and ending up at the University was a forgone conclusion.
However, life’s mystery set in and he ended up as a teacher in a technical school owned by his brother-in-law. He did not amount to much, became an alcoholic and eventually passed away.
The day I heard that he had passed away and his general circumstances, I felt so sad. Such is life and sometimes it is like the quiz competition I witnessed, full of uncertainties.
There was another senior in Middle School, who also was very brilliant. In fact he got a score of 254 out of 300 in the Common Entrance Examination. Many years later, in my early years at the University, I met this guy at the Tarkwa Train Station and got the shock of my life. This guy was wearing a dirty, loosely fitting singlet and his state was pitiful.
Naturally after expressing pleasantries, I asked him what he was doing in Tarkwa after telling him that I was a student at the university. He then narrated how he was dismissed from the most prestigious Secondary School in the Kwahu area after some smoking and going out without exeat issue.
He further indicated that as a result, he was then hustling and doing Galamsey to make ends meet. I would have had a hard time believing that he was doing Galamsey and not working in a reputable organisation or institution if it was told me by someone. Indeed life can sometimes be like a quiz competition, if God is not involved.
Since we are not God and therefore do not have knowledge of what the future holds, we need to treat people who come across our paths well because you never know.
When I went for the funeral of one of my aunties, on my father side, with my SUV many years ago, a lot of my relatives were surprised because they never imagined that.
When it comes to say wealth, it has nothing to do with one’s academic qualifications. We have some of the wealthiest people who were school dropouts and so we need to be careful how we treat people, because life is like a quiz competition and you never know until the competition comes to an end.
I have seen someone who was not that nice looking, the nose being flat and all, and then 12 years later, such a huge natural transformation; so never write anybody off, because life is like a quiz competition. God bless.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
