NURSING: DISPASSIONATE PROFESSION IN GHANA

               

For it is often said, the smallest truth is still bigger than a biggest lies. From my personal observations, Ghana is one country in the sub-Saharan Africa, where most teeming youth rush into the nursing profession all in the name of rapid employment opportunity and remunerations. But it is obvious most of these youth in fact don’t have the passion for this reputable career.

I do believe my readers will agree with me that this revered profession; nursing is a profession to serve humanity. The profession is a very complicated one and so, much care must be taken by nurses since human lives “partially” depend on them. Again, I believe this career is not made for faint-hearted people but rather people with much boldness and courage. But now what do we see? People who cannot withstand little pressure at work and also people who cannot tolerate others I mean their own patients. Obviously, most of these youth think the nursing vocation is just a dummy-run hence they’re eventually rushing into it without thinking twice about the intricacies involved. Are we to blame them for their choices?

Besides, most of these teeming youth are going into this profession merely for the monthly allowances paid to them which they commonly called “Allower”. I can emphatically say that most of these nurses have no love or passion for the career. But today, we see them in their numbers nicely dressed-up in their neatly sleek uniforms. Honestly, this write-up is not written to deface the nursing profession but only to share my opinion on what I have noticed in recent times just as the maxim goes “one bad habit often spoils a dozen of good ones”.

Moreover, some of these young nurses mostly don’t exercise patience when attending to or about to attend to a patient. I do ask myself do these nurses’ easily forget or they just don’t understand the pledge they swear which states in stanza three of their code of ethics which reads. “I promise to respect at all times the dignity of the patient in my charge”. I believe some duties of the nurses includes; taking care of whole patient- his mind and body, to provide health education and other health services to the individual, family, society and the nation as a whole for the prevention of deadly diseases and to promote good health. But the question here is do these young nurses in our various hospitals normally have time for all these? Again, I have also noticed that, some of these nurses instead of them doing what are expected from them or attending to a patient they rather spend time on their cell phones talking, surfing the internet or ‘whatsapping’.

Besides, I have witnessed a lot of insolence from some of these young nurses to their patients in most hospitals and clinics. But, to my surprise most of these patients normally keep quiet. Shouting at a patient because that patient needs your service this shows how rude you can be. And as a matter of fact, most of these inpatients and out-patients being mostly maltreated could be their parents for Christ sake. I will not be surprise if some of these nurses travel to the Western countries with these unethical working attitudes. Lest I forget, no wonder recently a Ghanaian nurse in London was accused of a violent act. And she was later charged with violent by abusing a dementia patient. Was she thinking London was Ghana? As the saying goes “Charity begins at home”. Apparently, this is how ill-mannered and disrespectful most of these nurses behave in Ghana hence they travel with these inimical attitudes.

Perhaps, people can attest to the fact that the present behavioural pattern of these young nurses is nothing to write home about as compared to the then behaviours of our older nurses’ in the country. The bottom-line here is that most of the older nurses went into the profession with much dedication and passion so they worked around the clock to save human lives. Because they believe hardworking pays unlike the young nurses’ who only think about their monthly allowance and salaries. Eventually, they mostly end-up venting their anger on innocent patients.

As the saying goes “Good names are better than riches”. I therefore entreat the Ministry of Health (MoH) to make sure nurses’ perform their earthly duties with much dedication and devotion and also adhere to their ethical codes. In conclusion, nurses must be patient-friendly because if these nurses cannot be friendly to these patients then who else can they be friendly to in their field of work?

                                   By: Adjetey Emmanuel

                                  The writer is a Freelance Journalist

                                  Email: adjeteyemmanuel@gmail.com

                                   Tel: 0247265478.

NATIONAL ISSUE: OUR HEALTH OUR WEALTH?

By: Adjetey Emmanuel

For it is often said that health is wealth. But the question is how many Ghanaians consider what they usually consume as medicine?

I believe you will agree with me that most Ghanaians are ignorant of some of the drugs sold to them at the pharmacy shops. It is a fact since more than half of the country’s population is uneducated. They are eventually brainwashed to purchase unregistered and fake medicines to consume.  Besides, what baffles me most is that majority of the pharmacy shops still have and sell some expired drugs in the country. This reminds me in 2011 when an expired medicine, Quinaquin, was sold to a two year old girl which made this innocent young girl paralyzed. Where are we going as a nation? If some unscrupulous people can have the gut to sell an expired drugs to their fellow human being wickedly to ruined their lives.

Besides, we live in a country full of self-seeking and sadist people who always want the best for only themselves. Hence, I will not be surprised to know if some pharmacy shops still sell some banned drugs like the chloroquine. The medicine in question thus chloroquine was banned in 2004 due to the medicine losing its efficacy and potency because it was said that the parasite that causes malaria developed resistance to the chloroquine. Fortunately, the chloroquine was then replaced with Artesunate Amodiaquine which was then affectionately called AA. But, because we still live with depraved people who only enjoy inflicting others to pain, some quack pharmacists in the country still went on selling this medicine. With this analogy, I’m of the conviction that other banned drugs would still be in some chemist shops.

A recent study has also revealed that the most commonly faked drugs which are imported into the country include antibiotics, antimalarial drugs, anti-diabetics and aphrodisiacs. Some drugs are also counterfeited by illegal local producers. The trade in fake or substandard drugs is booming in the country because those involved are earning huge profits as a result of weak regulatory measures by the authorities, whereas our law enforcement is slack.

Again, another delicate side of the issue is the recent high patronage of aphrodisiac drugs. I will not astonish to know if there are chemist shops selling only these aphrodisiac drugs. From my observation, I have noticed that in recent times the demand for the drug is very high and mostly by the youth. Now, the questions are, have these drugs been examined? And registered by the Food and Drugs Board?  Also are they safety to be consumed and could their efficacy be guaranteed? And even though, if these aphrodisiac medicines efficacy could be guaranteed on the other side of the coin these same drugs also have their negative effect to the health of the consumers. So, I deem it wise for the Ghana Health Service to collaborate with the Food and Drugs Board to make sure they caution the public against their excessive use of these medicines or the drugs especially the youth.

Moreover, as a nation we are also at risk owing to the recent influx of counterfeit drugs being imported into the country. Besides, on the account of, the tenets of free trade system some international criminal groups take advantage of this system to importing fake and substandard drugs into the country. Despite the fact that, these fake drugs could be moved into the country but we all know it is the sole duty of our National Securities and the Food and Drugs Board to make sure any medicines imported into the country are not fake or substandard. Because, if they failed to execute their duties the ordinary citizens in the country would greatly be at risk by using these drugs.

Furthermore, I have also noticed that, most people prefer buying medicines in the open markets and in buses. It is high time for people to know that some medicines sold to them in the open places could be fake, expired or unregistered by the Food and Drugs Board and they could also be injurious to their health. For that reason, it is the duty of the government to protect her citizens. In addition, other designated bodies like the Pharmacy Council of Ghana, Food and Drugs Board and the Ghana Health Service must continue to caution the general public to be wary of counterfeit and expired drugs being sold especially in the open markets and in buses.

As the saying goes “Don’t try to cure a headache it’s better to cure the thing that causes it.” I therefore entreat the Ministry of Health (MoH) to join forces with other subordinated bodies to promote the awareness, inform and also to educate the public about the influx of counterfeit drugs in the country. Besides, the Food and Drugs Board must also stand firm to making sure that any company or any individual producing any kind of medicine that so-called medicine must be thoroughly scrutinized before that product comes out to the market.

Also, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) must also make sure that pharmacies in the country must be managed by competent and well trained pharmacists. But what do we normally see? People who are not pharmacists are practicing pharmacy in most pharmacy shops in the country.

My fellow citizens be very conscious and extra vigilant with any medicine you might one day buy at any pharmacy shop. Never hesitate to examine the medicine or even interrogate the pharmacist about the medicine because your health is your wealth.

Credit: Adjetey Emmanuel        Email: adjeteyemmanuel@gmail.com, the writer is a freelance journalist based in Tema. To read more of my articles visit   www.newsinventory.blogspot.com    Tel: 0247265478

IS THERE ANY HOPE FOR OUR SLUMS DWELLERS?

        

Communicable diseases are most of the diseases that many Ghanaians today would not want to come across, yet our environmental conditions still remain very dirty. I believe no one on this earth would not want to be infected by these dreadful contagious diseases that have now remain in our country.

I for one cannot think of these diseases without talking about our people living in the slums. However, these contagious diseases also known as infectious diseases are considered to be the most dangerous diseases of all because these diseases can spread very rapidly from one person to another. These contagious diseases spread out easily if the uninfected person comes into direct contact with the person being infected with or the one suffering from these communicable diseases like the tuberculosis (TB), common cold, flu (influenza), cough, smallpox, chickenpox to mention a few.

In Ghana, especially the capital city Accra, when one is talking about slums the first place that comes into minds of people is the most very dense slum popularly known as Sodom and Gomorrah within the Accra Metropolis precisely old Fadama which is few meters away from the “Abbosey Okai Central Mosque”, and also not too far from the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC).  Personally, I consider it as the overall slum in the Accra Township. Obviously, this slum, Sodom and Gomorrah, is very well-known in the country due to its grand size. And within the slum are people of all walks of life who engage themselves in different activities during day and night probably to make some livelihood.

Besides, anyone who visits this vicinity is first of all welcomed and greeted by the foul smell coupled on with its choked and dug out gutters also full with plastics, human and solid wastes of all kinds. Surprisingly, these wastes are mostly gathered right infront of their wooden structures and kiosks they sleep in as rooms. Moreover, the environment is surrounded with stagnant waters all over and tones of rubbish giving out bad scents with flies all over the surroundings and within all these dwellers cook their foods and sell and some as well transact other businesses in it. In fact, sanitation problem overthere is a very big issue which must be tackled with much seriousness than before. Also we know that in Ghana, when we talk about sanitation problem the argument is mostly related to politics of either repulsive tribal remarks or ethnocentric verbal punches but then the problem at heart is rather ignored to aggravate resulting to more health hazards.

If my memory serves me right, according to some statistics recorded by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in 2011 revealed that Ghana’s slum growth rate stands at 4.7%, honestly, many at times I don’t understand why issues which are mostly paramount to the development of our national life are frequently ignored and I do keep on asking myself series of questions but I can’t provide myself with answers to those questions. So, what are really the plans of our government concerning the lives of our slums dwellers in the country? We can hardly believe our authorities are not paying much attention to all these refuses “socializing” with the people in country which some maybe as a result of these slums. Apparently, every government that comes assures us of eradicating these slums so to make our cities look like “paradise” but it is now obvious that those promises are purely political talks. Because, after capturing their political power the state of affairs of these slums rather worsens.

Besides, our authorities are very much aware that any social menaces associated with slums retards the development of our nation such as the poor sanitation, increase in poverty, prostitution, armed robbery and drug addiction by our youth also threatens the peace of the urban residents and the nation as a whole. So, what measures are our authorities putting in place to halt these menaces?

Furthermore, Ghanaians would be very much delighted to know the actual reasons why there is an upsurge of slums in the country. Or would it be as a result of lack of coordination and proper supervision among the institutions mandated to ensure proper planning of our cities and towns? On many occasions most slums inhabitants are also smashed down by epidemic cholera and people begin to wonder why this terrible disease is making waves in our country. But, we sometimes forget that cholera arises due to our own unconcerned attitudes as a result of we are unable to keep our surroundings clean. But then by clearing our choked and dug out gutters as well as stagnant waters to prevent flies and other bacterial and viral infections we would be free from health risks. Since flies and other flying insects may carry the bacterium or other diseases from one place to another, thereby spreading the disease anywhere in the country is very easy. Our authorities and leaders of this land should not forget that these infections are not respecter of person hence they must to do their best to educate the populace especially our slums occupants and besides they must also come out with some good preventive measures that would at least help reduce these menaces.

In conclusion, the sanitation condition of Sodom and Gomorrah should be a reminder or a review to our government and to our cities planners to be more proactive in their duties otherwise the taxpayers’ monies will rather be used to pay for something not carefully planned. And moreover, the government shouldn’t be awarding contracts to these town planners based on their political affiliations but rather by their expertise and competence. Because contracts shouldn’t be like groundnuts therefore should not be shared to anyone who appears in the political scene. Adding to that, one can boldly say that our previous governments awarded most contracts to these cities and town planners’ based on their political attachments and that has eventually resulted to the poor planning of our cities with slums coupled with poor sanitation.

Cleanliness is next to godliness……. LONG LIVE GHANA!!!

The Writer is a Student-Journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism.

Writer’s email:adjeteyemmanuel@gmail.com

Tel: (00233) 0247265478