Hot!
Wassa Amenfi West District ranked fourth with 96 COVID-19 cases
Residents in the Wassa Amenfi West District of the Western Region have expressed worry as the area is gradually gaining status as a hotspot for the COVID 19 pandemic.
There is no isolation centre in the district to quarantine those with COVID-19 cases.
Meanwhile, the danger is that, all the affected victims or persons are walking free on the streets, The Spectator gathered, and there are genuine fears that the situation might worsen.
According to the Regional Situation Report (SITREP), Wassa Amenfi West now ranked fourth on the COVID-19 pandemic with 96 positive cases, as of Tuesday, June 30. Sekondi -Takoradi ranked first with 573 positive cases, followed by Tarkwa -Nsuaem with 465 and Effia-Kwesimintsim,198.
The report generally indicated that Wassa Amenfi West COVID cases initially, in April 2, tallied zero positive, moved to one case in June 5, and has since shot up with 178 negative cases while 178 cases are also pending, within the period.
So far, the district had reported 170 suspected cases, 280 contact cases traced with 452 samples taken.
Responding to public concerns in an interview with journalists, the District Director of Health, Mary Magdalene Arthur, said the number of cases recorded did not show a failure on the part of the health team.
She explained that the efforts of the health team had reduced the number of COVID 19 cases in the area.
“This is not a failure on the part of the health team and the Regional Health Directorate will testify. We are, indeed, on the ground working. But the key challenge is where to send confirmed cases for isolation. It behoves on the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and his team to do that. We are still waiting,” she said.
The MCE, Mr George Agyiri, on his part, also argued that, in April, when the COVID -19 pandemic swept the country, government directed all districts to construct isolation centers, but, this, he added, could not be done within a short period.
He said, the assembly decided to solicit the assistance of hotels in the district and other areas or hire completed houses to help reduce the spread of the virus.
However, most businesses had declined the offer.
“We have been making efforts to build an isolation centre, but in the interim, we need to hire hotels, but due to stigmatisation, the owners have declined.” Mr Agyiri told journalists.
The situation, he said, posed a challenge to COVID-19 emergencies.
From Clement AdzeiBoye, Takoradi
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
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
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
