Features
Opinion: Christians fail Ghana big time, money has replaced God
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “I love your Christ but not Christianity. Christians are so unlike Christ”. Anyone hearing this quote for the first time, especially a Christian, will be taken aback. However, Gandhi was spot on at his time and what he said many years ago still stands tall today. The tenets or teachings of Christ are apt and so true that it should change anyone to live out at least the basic principles of true love and honesty.
The current Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Mahamudu Bawumia, at one of his campaign trails said this about the economy at the time, “when the fundamentals are weak the exchange rate will expose you”. The same is very true of the Christian living; when one’s fundamental knowledge of Christ is weak, your life style exposes you.
Talk of every sphere, nooks and crannies of this country, you would find a Christian either heading a department or a member of the team of that department; talk of the education sector, Health, sports, security, business, transport sector and politics.
The real and basic questions are: What is the population of Christians in Ghana, how many Christians are at the helm of affairs or holding bigger positions in Ghana? How many Christians challenge one another when it comes to corruption and other related vices? And finally, how many Christians are even aware or believe corruption is a sin?
The truth of the matter is, many Christians today treat Christianity like an association or an avenue where one can only seek something from God and not a “way of life”. Christianity has been reduced to mere business, where Christ’s name is used as a cover up, to extort money from people.
It is gradually reduced to a mere show, where God is literally forced to perform a miracle by hook or crook. The teachings about Christ in this country is skin deep and this is exposed in the kind of behaviour Christians put up in their families, churches, workplaces, and worse still in their relationships.
A lot of Christians’ minds are today tuned to what to expect or gain as opposed to what one also needs to do right in society.
One would imagine that with 70–80 per cent of the Christian population in Ghana and the number of churches in the country: those on social media and “trotros” (pubic buses), which have been converted into churches, corruption would have been an issue no one would even pay attention to. On the contrary, it has become a virus which has to be dealt with on daily basis.
Today, in Ghana, you could almost say the synonym of corruption is politics. Mention the word corruption in any conversation in the country and everyone’s mind races to politicians. This raises another question. How many Christians are in Politics? Corruption is bad in other sectors, worse of in most Christian homes or families.
Visit a typical market and a Christian seller will either sell a rotten or expired product to you. Take your car to a mechanic and he will either change your car spare parts with a worn out spare part or at best drain your fuel and bring you an empty fuel tank.
Visit the teacher in school or a nurse at the hospital and they are on social media the whole time. Call on the pastor and he will literally sell God’s blessing to you. Speak with the security about a crime and everything will be nipped in the bud in exchange for money.
Interestingly, these are the same people who go to church every Sunday. It is true Jesus said in Luke Chapter 5: 32 that “I did not come because of the righteous but sinners”, however, in the same Luke Chapter 15: 7 it is also true that there is more joy in heaven to see a sinner changing his or her ways or at least make an effort to live by the values of Christ’s teachings.
When you replace God with money or water down the values and principles of Christian living, your own life style will expose you. Most Christians in Ghana have failed Ghana and Christ big time through their way of life. With the overwhelming number of Christians in the country, one will expect a “Christ-like” life style, which pre-empts truthfulness, justice, fairness and above all sincere love.
Jesus invites every Christian to be light in our dark world and more importantly to be yeast to infiltrate every dark corner of the world. Nearly everyone is a perpetrator of the aforementioned. Christianity is a choice and when one chooses this lifestyle, it is no longer a choice. Christians in this country owe Ghana a genuine lifestyle and true Christian witnessing. Christian living should never be compromised
The writer is the Coordinator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, Ghana-Liberia Province) Divine Word Missionaries: A Catholic Missionary Society.
Writer’s email: justiceandpeaceint@gmail.com or nicholasbetol@gmail.com
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
