Connect with us

Hot!

Pedestrian knockdown on the increase in W/R

Published

on

Pedestrian  knockdowns  continue to attract the attention  of road safety managers as number of persons  injured rose  from  100  in 2020 to 135  in 2021  in the Western Region, National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) reports from January to September this year revealed.

Pedestrians  killed, however,  reduced  from 42 to 32, a 23.8 percent decrease. But,  the  total number  of  reported cases  on  pedestrian knockdowns rose from 130 to 167, during  the period.

The Western Regional Manager of NRSA, Nana Akua Ansaah,told  The Spectator  recently.

She  explained  that  walkways were  for  use by pedestrians and    but  observed  that  in   most communities  in the region, they had become car parks.

Advertisement

This , Nana Ansaah  added, was a  headache  creating injuries and deaths among pedestrians  on theroads.

Again, she  told The Spectator  that slabs removed during clean-ups were not  restored and remained  uncovered for days, forcing  pedestrians to enter the road  to  compete   with vehicles for space.

Nana Ansaah  stressed : “Humans  are vulnerable and  our bones cannot be compared with metals on vehicles and any collision,  pedestrians die; it’s a worry. We plead with road contractors and our engineers, to create  pedestrian lay- bys to forestall the injuries and  deaths.

“We need to prevent people from dying when  using the road.The pedestrian walkways also promote healthy lifestyles as people  used them  for  exercises.”

Advertisement

She again indicated that males killed during the period below age 18 reduced from 10 to four while males above 18 killed rose from 61 to 71, an  increase of +16.4 percent while  females above 18, who died,  also rose from four to  nine.

Nana Ansaah told the Spectator  that  persons killed in the commercial vehicle  category rose from 23 to 36 while those  injured reduced  from 287 to 188, with taxis topping with an increase  from  137 to 158.

Trycycles cases  also  rose from 99 to 142  during the period,saying “it’s a worry, we are  losing national  human resources, people  in  productive age bracket are  dying.”

The road safety manager advocated that parents and  the society should encourage females to join the road transport business  just as some haulage companies had started because, statistics showed  that, females   had the patience  and discipline to maintain  high safety standards.

Advertisement

Nana Ansaah said: “The men claim they have the experience but if you have the experience and people continue to die on our roads, then it means you need to improve upon   your driving skills. We have to make our roads safe for all users.”

From Clement Adzei Boye, Takoradi

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Hot!

Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

Published

on

General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.

Advertisement

“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.

He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.

“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.

His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.

Advertisement

The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.

The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Hot!

UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

Published

on

The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.

In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.

The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.

According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.

Advertisement

UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.

The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.

It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.

UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.

Advertisement

The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.

The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.

Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.

By: Jacob Aggrey

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending