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Take your NHIS Cards to school …sickness is unpredictable – Principal, SDA College of Education
Some staff of the clinic
The Principal of the Seventh Day Adventist College of Education (SEDACOE) at Asokore-Koforidua in the Eastern Region, Dr Cecilia Ofosua Odame has advised students of tertiary institutions to always carry their health insurance cards and other health related documents along with them to school.
“Sickness is inevitable in a person’s life therefore, do not say that I am grown and therefore cannot be sick” she said.
According to her such documents may be a saviour in many circumstances which they might not get control over, especially, at this time of rains and economic hardships with payments of colossal hospital bills.
Dr Cecilia Odame said this when the College Clinic was officially opened to the services of the students and staff last Thursday.
She explained the rationale behind the establishment of the clinic and that it was one of the requirements of tertiary institutions to have a school clinic to care for the health needs of the students.
“One major reason for the construction of the clinic is that the student population of the college is growing very fast due to the Free Education Policy” she explained.
The Principal said that the facility was constructed through the College’s Internally Generated Fund (IGF) at a cost of One Million and one hundred Ghana cedis but it took several years to complete.
Dr Cecilia Odame thanked the old students, philanthropists, friends of the college and the SDA Church for assisting to complete the clinic.
The Clinic’s Co-ordinator, MLS Wahab Addo said that the clinic was completed in January 2023 which has six departments, namely, OPD, Pharmacy, a Laboratory, IPD, ANC and Counselling department.
“We have 15- bed capacity, which serves over 8,000 student community of Basic, SHS, the College and both staff and non teaching staff and we operate 24 hours” he said.
The Internal Auditor of the clinic, Mr Samuel Owusu also said there was the need for expansion because the recent facilities could not serve the growing population since Basic, SHS, College, Sandwich, staff and non teaching staff all patronised the facility.
“We have land but we need financial support from all quarters to expand because it is our intention to extend our services to the communities around us to generate a little income for the college” he said.
Mr Owusu said that most of the services provided were free and appealed for support from the general public.
The Physician In-charge of the clinic, Annette Cornelius, and the Nurse in-charge of the OPD, Ansomah Darko Lovesther said most of the students” reported of malaria, ulcers, body pains and headaches, STI and STDs and appealed to them to practise personal hygiene.
They appealed for hospital equipment such as, laptops, fridges, drugs, laboratory equipment, and above all bungalows to enable the staff stay on campus.
From Spectator Reporter, Koforidua
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
