Journalistic Works - News Articles, Features And More of P. ATOGEWE WEDAM

BE WARNED! NEW DRUG TRIALS TO DAILY GRAPHIC Dear Editor, I would be very pleased if you find space in your esteemed newspaper to publish this article. Where do African governments and their ministries of health continually open the arms in the popular “awa awa atuu” fashion to offer their citizens for the trials of newly manufactured drugs from the western world? I was listening to the evening news bulletin on the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation on Saturday evening July 18, 2009 when the news said there will soon be the trial of a new malaria drug on African soil through some 17 health research centres. Is our dear Ghana included? That was my first concern. On this particular issue of testing the potency of new drugs on Africans, I have more questions than answers. Why don’t the pharmaceutical companies test their new drugs on citizens of their respective countries where they operate? Do our African governments do laboratory test and investigations to ascertain the side effects of thes...

FEMALE CONDOM LEAST PREFERRED July 16, 2009 BY Peter Atogewe Wedam, ISD - Gambaga The female condom is the least preferred among methods of family planning in the East Mamprusi district of the Northern region. Depo provera and the male condom however top the list of preferred choices with the former registering a patronage of 3,526 whilst the latter recorded 2,032 in usage for the first half of 2009. The Jawani CHPS compound is the only health facility in the district that recorded a significant patronage of the female condom within the period. The East Mamprusi district director of health services Mr. Thomas Sennor, disclosed this in a presentation during the district’s half year review meeting held at Gambaga. The director stated that maternal and child health care are a priority of the Ghana Health Service [GHS] in the Northern Region and the country as a whole because of high morbidity and mortality in the region. He stated that the district recorded four maternal d...

GAGISH TEACHER BEATEN JULY 13, 2009 By: Peter Atogewe Wedam, ISD, Gambaga An English Teacher of the Gambaga Girls Senior High [GAGISH] in the Northern region, Mr. Francis Dzaglabi was last Thursday [on July 09,2009] night beaten mercilessly when he administered corporal punishment to his students for disobeying his authority. His attackers are alleged to be young men numbering over 10 who live within the immediate environs of the school. The incident occurred when Mr. Dzaglabi directed the students to go to bed after preps at about 09:40 pm which is a routine of the school. A form two student, Miss Lizatel Abagre was caught by the teacher singing and loitering after he had given the directive. Mr. Dzaglabi reportedly lashed Miss Abagre to serve as a deterrent to the rest of the students. But instead, a group of students that was also still out of bed began mocking the teacher and this act provoked him. He then decided to mete out the same corporal punishment to t...

NAYIR RECEIVES DCEs JULY 10, 2009 BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM The King of Mamprugu Naa Bohagu Abdulai Sheriga II has appealed to the three District Chief executives within his traditional area to work together to secure a permanent place of residence for him at Tamale. The king made the appeal when the Bumkprugu-Youyoo and West Mamprusi DCEs Hon. Mavis Meliga Bawa and Hon. Sulley Abdul Razak respectively paid a courtesy on him at Nalerigu. Naa Bohagu who is also the Vice President of the Northern Regional house of chiefs said such a residence will serve as a rest house for him whenever he goes to Tamale for official duties. He also informed the DCEs of his intention to travel to the presidency in Accra to congratulate President Mills on his election to the high office of the land. The East Mamprusi DCE, Honourable Adam Imoro who accompanied his two colleagues to the Nayiri’s place said it was customary for them...

PRESCRIBERS ATTEND WORKSHOP JULY 07, 2009 BY PETER ATOGEWE WEDAM, ISD – GAMBAGA A one day workshop on rational drug prescription for service providers under the National Health Insurance Scheme [NHIS] has ended at Gambaga, capital of the East Mamprusi district of the Northern region. The workshop, organized by the East Mamprusi health directorate brought together prescribers, midwives and community health officers, staff of the East Mamprusi NHIS and those of the health directorate to discuss issues of mutual concern. In an address to open the workshop, the East Mamprusi health director Mr. Thomas Sennor noted that it would present a platform for the participants to brainstorm in order to avoid over or under prescription of essential drugs. Over or under prescription either leads to wastage or a compromise in the quality of drugs. Mr. Sennor emphasized that the NHIS is meant to improve quality health services and also make servi...

DCE TO INCREASE IGF July 03, 2009 BY: Peter Atogewe Wedam ISD, Gambaga The District Chief Executive (DCE) of the East Mamprusi district in the Northern region Honourable Adam Imoro has hinted that the assembly will rake in more internally generated funds under his administration. The DCE who gave the hint in an interaction with the ISD at Gambaga noted from available records that there has been abysmal revenue mobilization in the past. He has therefore directed the district finance officer and his staff to register all businesses in the district. Honourable Imoro explained that under the directive, all business entities operating in the district will be classified into small, medium and large. The assembly will then issue certification to the businesses and require them to pay specific operational taxes according to their classification. He said the district assembly in collaboration with the Rural Enterprises Project will then periodically g...