Editorial
Prioritise saving lives in emergency situations over taking photos, videos
In the past, people were prepared to act quickly in dire circumstances, like breaking up fights, and lives were saved as a result.
However, in this day and age when everything is trending on social media onlookers concentrate on taking photos or videos rather than intervening to save the lives of people in distress.
Traditional media outlets and social media users compete with one another to be the first to report on a story.
Instead of acting swiftly to remedy the situation, viewers’ attention is diverted by the impulse to document a moment of injustice or danger. It is currently a widespread practice that requires comprehensive attention.
In numerous instances, the individuals who took pictures and shared them on social media had the opportunity to save lives. When you have the ability to save the life of someone who is about to die, why must you record them?
Our culture now prioritises being viral over lending a hand to others. Sometimes people witness emergencies, but they would rather wait for someone else to take action.
One typical example is a video of two students fighting that went viral on social media lately. Surprisingly, their friends were videoing the fight until something unexpected happened. Similar circumstances have resulted in fatalities in the past.
The Spectator disapproves of this behaviour because life is more valuable than images and videos and that the people who took the photos and videos could have saved a life if they had acted sooner.
Even while some might contend that images and videos can be used as proof in investigations into an incident, there are times when saving a life is more important than videoing, particularly when there is a risk to life and the only person present is the one taking the photo or recording.
Since saving a life has a significant impact on the person, their family, and the community, it is thought to be the most morally just thing to do.
The Spectator believes that while images and videos are useful and can be used to swiftly convey important information to others, the time, effort, and tools required to capture images or videos could be employed to save lives in an emergency.
When a life-threatening situation arises, we should first contact for assistance from the police or ambulance service, or if we are able, provide prompt assistance before anything else happens.
In an emergency, let us be Good Samaritans and put saving lives ahead of snapping photos and videos.
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
