‘Make patient care utmost priority’-Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum

The award winners and dignitaries at the function

Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop of Koforidua, has challenged health workers in the country to give quality care to sick people who visit the hospitals to access health care.

He entreated them to treat every patient with dignity and respect, and serve the sick from the depth of their hearts with compassion.

Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum with Mr. Kpesesse
and Dr. Mantey interacting 

The Bishop said these during the joint Accra Archdiocese and Koforidua Diocesan launch of the 25^th World Day of the Sick at the St. Joseph Hospital at Effiduase-Koforidua.

The message was based on the theme: Amazement of what God has one for me: Amazement of what God has accomplished: The Almighty has done great things for me (Luke 1:49).

Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum, who read the Pope’s message for the occasion, urged health workers to be active in the care they give to the sick at all times.

Mr. Victus K. Kpesese, Executive Secretary for Health in Koforidua Diocese, urged the various departments at the facilities to be interested in monitoring their performances, adding that whatever we do should be directed at saving lives.

He advised facilities going paperless to get a strong IT system to safeguard the data they feed into the system.

On motivation for staff, he urged management of the various facilities to go beyond salaries and opportunities to upgrade staff but also recognize for good efforts of their staffs.

Mrs. Attipoe Bempong, representative of the Eastern Regional Director of Health stated the need for health workers to have compassion for patient in order to better serve them.

Speaking on how to avoid diabetes, she urged Ghanaians to watch their what they eat and their eating habit, and stressed the essence to eat a lot of balance diet with fruits and vegetables.

She urged Ghanaians to inculcate regular exercise habits, avoid smoking and excessive drinking and adopt health lifestyle.

Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum blessing the sick

Mrs. Bempong urged people diagnosed of the disease, not to worry because it could be managed, entreating them to visit health facilities to seek care.            

Nana Ampem Frempomah I, Nkosuohene of Effiduase-Koforidua, who chaired the launch commended the Catholic Church for its strive in health care delivery in the area and the in the country as a whole, on the government to revamp and improve upon the NHIS to help more people access health care.

She called on Ghanaians to clean rid and rid their environment of filth to promote healthy living.

In attendance at the function was the all-male Choir of the Pope John Minor Seminary and Senior High School, who entertained the guest at the programme.

Dr. Ebenezer Akrofi-Mantey, Medical Officer of the St. Joseph Hospital was adjudged the winner of the Koforidua Diocesan Health Excellence Awards, for his exceptional dedicated service over the years, while Dr. Kofi Effah, Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Catholic Hospital of Battor named the winner for the Accra Archdiocesan Health Excellence Awards.      

On behalf of the awardees, Dr. Mantey thanked God, the hospital management and the Koforidua Diocese for the honour and recognition of their efforts.

He also thanked the staff who he works with and his family, entreated the staff to be diligent and keep working hard, adding that in all their edeavours and work, one day they would be recognize and they would receive a just reward.

In a welcome address, Mr. Valentine Bruku, Director of the Hospital, stated that launch has brought the health facilities together as one family, to share in the vision of utmost and holistic patient care.

He expressed the hope that health workers would reflect on the theme and imbibe its meaning to their daily work.

Present at the programme were section of the patients at the facility, who praised the hospital staff for the great work they were doing to care for them.

In attendance was the Pope John Seminary and Senior High School Choir who sang medleys of songs to spice up the programme.

The front view of the St. Joseph Hospital.

     

Going places

Lovely sunset at Tarkwa

Market scenes at Tarkoradi

Section of a polluted Odaw river somewhere
at Dzowulo, Accra 

One Tyre operators at Kasoa 

DE ‘Youngster supports St. Thomas School

Msgr. Bobby-Benson blessing the De' Youngster family

The proprietor of the DE ‘Youngster International Schools in Accra, and a native of Asamankese, in the Eastern Region, has donated a set of brass band drums to the St. Thomas Senior High/Technical School.

The drums worth GH₵3,500. 00, was to support the school music ministry.

Mr. Anthony Kwame DE ‘Youngster, has over the years has support the community with an Education Endowment Fund help promote education of less endowed in the area, and also provided a scholarship package for the St. Thomas School, to assist brilliant but needy students.

He also donated football and trophies to support supporting activities in the community.

*Msgr. Bobby-Benson blessing the Mr. and Mrs. DE ‘Youngster

Msgr. Bobby-Benson blessing the drums 

New Head Master to transform St. Thomas

Mr Ansah, (middle) the new headmaster with the dignitaries
after the Mass

The New Headmaster of the St. Thomas Senior High/Technical School at Asamankese in the Koforidua Diocese has pledged to work assiduously to transform the school into a place of excellence.

Mr. William Ansah, who was inducted into office as the substantive headmaster of the School, declared his intention to utilise available resources to make the School one of the best in the country.

 “I will ensure that St. Thomas School remains competitive among the best schools in the country,” he assured.  

Pledging to uphold the Catholic teachings and principles as the pivot in building the School, the new headmaster promised to collaborate and work with all stakeholders including the old students’ association to promote the growth of the school.

Mr. Ansah (seated) flanked by dignitaries after his induction.

He made these remarks recently at his induction ceremony at the St Mary’s Catholic Church at Asamankese in the Koforidua Diocese, and commended his predecessors, the Church, the Parent Teacher Association (P.T.A), with particular thanks to its longest serving Chairman, Mr. Patrick K. Kumi, as well as the Chief of Asamankese.   

Very Rev. Msgr. Francis Twum Barimah, Vicar General of the Koforidua Diocese and main celebrant at the induction Mass urged the new headmaster to emulate the steps of Jesus Christ who came to fulfill the works of the prophets.

He bemoaned the tendency in the country, where successive leaders discredit the records of their precursors, and urged Mr. Ansah to build on what his predecessors have started.

The Vicar General entreated the headmaster to rely on God, who raised him to head the School, and urged the staff to eschew factionalism and work together to support the new headmaster in discharging his duties successfully.

Concelebrants at the well-attended Mass included Very Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby-Benson, Chairman of the Koforidua Diocesan Education Committee; Rev. Frs. Paul K. Tordzro, Parish Priest and Matthias T. Djabatey, Associate Priest and Chaplain at the St. Thomas Senior High Technical School.

At the Mass, 14 students were confirmed into the Catholic Church by the Vicar General, who advised them to uphold their faith and endeavour to understand the teachings of the church.

Msgr. Bobby-Benson saying a prayer
Mr. Acheampong.

As part of the ceremony, the Kofordua Diocese honoured Mr. Eward Achemapong, Assistant Headmaster of the St. Thomas Senior High/ Technical School (Academics), for his dedicated and committed service to Catholic Education for several years.

Msgr. Bobby-Benson who presented a citation with an undisclosed amount to Mr. Acheampong on behalf of the Church, extolled his contributions to education in the Diocese.

In recognition of his hard work, the staff and the Students Representative Council as well as the P.T.A and the School Welfare made various presentation to Mr. Acheampong, who was due for retirement.           

The Acting Deputy Director at the Ghana Education Service (G.E.S) Mrs. Felicia Boakye-Yiadom, who together with the Vicar General inducted the new Headmaster, expressed the confidence in the potential of Mr. Ansah to deliver and make the school a place of excellence.

She encouraged Mr. Ansah not to fear but seek the face of the Lord to help him in discharging his duties at the School.

While commending Mr. Acheampong for his service to Ghana, she thanked the Church and the PTA for honouring him for his commitment and dedication.

Mr Kumi (with microphone)
speaking at the function

Mr. P. K. Kumi, who was honoured together with other long serving members of the P.T.A, lauded the determination of the pioneers through whose effort the school has come this far and assured the current leadership of their continued support to help the growth of the school.   

              

 

‘Respect dignity of the sick’

Fr. Dzumador blessing a sick person 

Health workers have been urged to accord respect and compassion to the sick who visit their health facilities, and help them receive healing.

Very Rev. Fr. Paul Dzumador, Chancellor of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese, made the appeal to health professionals to uphold the dignity of the sick who access health care at their facilities, during the Diocesan launch of the 25^th World Day of the Sick at Tagadzi-Dorfor, near Juapong.

“The dignity of the human being is important” he stressed, urging Nurses, Doctors and all care givers to treat the sick with respect and promote their welfare. He also entreated the sick to respect the health givers.

Fr. Dzumador, noted that health work is a vocation and not a profession, entreating them to work with a good heart in serving the sick. 

He expressed the need for Christian medics to pray with the sick as part of the process of medication, and charged them to be God fearing and render good services to the sick.

Mr. Christian Akoto-Brown, Executive Director for Health in the Diocese, called on health workers to appreciate the sick and pray for them.

He commended the entire health workers of the six facilities in the Diocese as well as their collaborators, and reminded them about the need to remember the sick and suffering, who are at the centre of their work.

Mr. Akoto-Brown appealed to health professionals to give off their best for the sick, noting that “nobody invites sickness to himself or herself intentionally and nobody knows when they would be taken ill”.

In spite of the challenges they faced in their work, the Executive Secretary admitted that the Lord has done a lot for them in the past year and urged them to continue having faith and conviction in the Lord.

The institution of World Day of the Sick by St. Pope John Paul, 25 years ago seeks to raise awareness of the Christ’s healing ministry, care for the sick and focus on care-giving where the sick would experience the warmth of God’s care and love.

Mr. Akoto-Brown, entreated the health workers to observe the week-long celebration through home visits to bed ridden patients and through provision of support to them.

Togbe Kakrada IV, Chief of Tagadzi-Dorfor, in a remark thanked the Catholic Church for establishing the facility at the area, and commended the Health Workers for the care, their sense of urgency to duty and the dedication they attached to executing their task.

The Chief acknowledged that due to the quality healthcare provision at the facility, a lot of people were coming from far places to seek health care at the Polyclinic, and appealed to the management and staff to keep up the good works.  

In his address, Mr. Evans Ativor, North Tongu District Director for Health, commended the Church for her commitment in healthcare delivery, and assured that the District would continue partnering with the Christian Health Association and do its best to complement the growth of the Polyclinic.

He however called on philanthropist and well-meaning Ghanaians to come to the aid of the Polyclinic, which he said was in need of delivery equipment, medicines, wheelchairs and medical consumables.  

Fr. Dzumador, who officiated the Mass to commemorate the day, read the Popes Message for the occasion on the theme: Amazement of what God has accomplished: The Almighty has done great things for me (Luke 1:49).

He later led the Priests at the function and some medics to visit and pray for the sick at the various wards of the St. Anne’s Polyclinic.      

Con-celebrants at the Mass included, Rev. Frs. Ignatius Attipoe, Parish Priest of St. Francis of Assisi Church at Juapong; Peter Amegashie, Chaplain at the Sacred Heart Hospital Abor; Theodore Agbekudzi, Chaplain at the Comboni Hospital at Sogakope.

Others were Rev. Frs. James Amuzu, and Franklin Adzaho, the Diocesan Bursar and Director of Communications respectively.    

Present at the occasion were staff of the Sacred Heart Hospital at Abor; St. Anthony Hospital at Dodze; the Comboni Hospital at Sogakope, and the Cuniberto Maternity Home at Lume.

The St. Francis of Assisi Parish Choir and the Alafa Cultural troupe graced the occasion