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Specialist’s advice: Allow couples to have children at their convenience
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● Dr. Francisca Tshitenge Bwalya
The decision to meddle in people’s marriages with specific demands or directives that sometimes result in breaking up marriages has done more harm to society than good.
While some have quietly gone through promptings and insults, others could not withstand the pressure and have died.
The decision by a couple not to have children or to wait for a convenient time to do so should be respected by society, according to consultant psychiatrist Dr. Francisca Tshitenge Bwalya.
She observed that, sadly, people ask questions even a month after marriage and comment on physical changes in women, the most prominent of which is a weight gain.
Dr. Bwalya noted that this behaviour, whether known or unknown to those who do so, puts a lot of stress on women, which has also extended to men.
“Usually the comments from such persons are very touching and degrading,” she said.
Dr. Bwalya said the external interference with time reduced the self-esteem of people, made them feel like failures, caused depression and guilt, developed fear and anxiety, and other negative tendencies that could even affect them later in life when they are ready to conceive.
She made the statement at a virtual health training for the media organised by the Merck Foundation in partnership with the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, an Ambassador for the Merck Foundation’s “More than a Mother” campaign, and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
The training was aimed at emphasising the important role the media plays in influencing society to create a cultural shift with the aim of breaking the stigma of infertility, among other issues.
The Consultant Psychiatrist said it was about time people appreciated that having a child was a huge responsibility and so needed preparations that included psychological, physical, and financial considerations, among others, and that these should ideally be the sole decision of a couple and not the society.
She observed that the thought of voluntary childfree status was not culturally accepted, but there was a need for the discussion about such decisions to be given much attention, as people deserved to be accorded the needed respect when they made such choices.
Dr. Bwalya said it was worth highlighting that women had a lot in them to contribute in diverse ways to building society, and so they should not be reduced to just having babies.
She said if a woman could not have a baby, she should not be seen as a failure by her community, but the value she was adding to society should be given much attention and celebrated.
Dr. Bwalya, therefore, called on the media to champion the campaign to change the narrative.
By Dzifa Tetteh Tay.
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.
“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.
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
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.
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.
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
