Editorial
If vaccines were “borrowed” so what?
● Some childhood vaccines were delivered recently
Early this week, the Ministry of Health took delivery of some childhood vaccines which had been in short supply for nearly a month.
The shortage had prompted anxiety among parents and health workers who feared it could result in the outbreak of childhood disease like measles, if the young ones were not inoculated in time.
Luckily, there was an intervention with the arrival of some vaccines which the officials assured that they were enough to last six weeks, therefore, parents should not rush for the vaccines.
Following the supply of the vaccines, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa indicated that the consignments were “borrowed” from Nigeria and Cote D’ivore.
Making the so-called revelation in a Facebook post, he stated, among other things, that the government’s failure to admit that the vaccines were received from these neighbouring countries was a sign of ungratefulness.
I must say I respect Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa but I do not find anything useful in his supposed investigations into the source of the vaccines which were procured recently.
Individuals or nations will face one form of challenge or the other, so what is the fuss about calling on a neighbour to provide assistance in times of challenges if they have the means? After all, what are neighbours for?
I guess Nigeria and Cote D’ivore had sought assistance from Ghana in the past so where lies the criticism if they decide to return a similar favour?
Our children did not have vaccines and if the government thought it prudent to procure them through any diplomatic means possible, should we not rather commend the effort?
I believe the sources of the vaccines should not matter, once they were meant to avert a potential health crisis.
Benjamin Adu-Gyamfi,
Pokuase-Accra.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
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