The City of God in Ghana?

What comes to mind when City of God is mentioned? And how will you feel if you hear that there is a City of God in your neighbourhood?

These were but few curious questions that crossed my mind when I first heard the name City of God. I wondered where this City of God could be? Could it be the haven of heavens? What does it look like?

Generally, names like City of God comes with a reverence that inspires holiness and hope. My first encounter with the name was several years ago when I heard of St. Augustine of Hippo’s classic De Civitate Dei contra Paganos, translated in English as The City of God Against the Pagans or The City of God.

Considered as one of St. Augustine’s important works, the 5th century book, which espoused Christian philosophy, was in response to allegations that Christianity brought about the decline of Rome. Many scholars agree that The City of God is a cornerstone of Western thought, expounding on many profound questions of theology, such as the suffering of the righteous, the existence of evil, the conflict between free will and divine omniscience, and the doctrine of original sin.

After St. Augustine’s book in the in the 5^th century a lot of literature and other audiovisual materials have been produced on the City of God.   

In Accra there is a shantytown along the Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon, originally christened Old Fadama. Old Fadama, with an estimated population of over 80,000, and makeshift kiosks, has derogatively been referred to as “Sodom and Gomorrah”.

Similar to the classic of St. Augustine, the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra through The City of God is laying a cornerstone of evangelising people, bringing relief to the suffering of the righteous, bring light to dispel the darkness of evil, as well as reorient Ghanaians that the people of City of God are good and godly people created and loved by God.

With demand far outstripping inadequate social amenities such as sanitation, running water, medical services in the midst of heaps of waste, including electronic waste and metal scraps, life in the largest slum in the Ghana could be perilous, dangerous and uncertain or unreliable opportunities for social advancement and progress.

As inhabitants of the place are largely stigmatised for where they live, with constant threat of eviction by governments without a corresponding degree of commitment to support the inhabitants, leave much to be desired. But Rev. Fr. Subash Chittilappilly, MC, says there are Gods people living there and that, Ghanaians have no right to describe the place derogatively.

He says there was need to consciously support the people there overcome their challenges instead of stigmatising and neglecting them totally.

In his two years duty stay at the City, Fr. Chittilappilly of the Missionary of Charity, urged stakeholders to support the people of Old Fadama, and entreating retired teachers and the youth of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, particularly those with expertise in English, Mathematics and Computer Science to volunteer their time to help train some of inhabitants at the City of God.           

It is true there is a City of God at Old Fadama, striving to improve upon the many lives of people living there and help improve their living standards, as well as erase the offensive name and stigma given those living there.    

As Jesus Christ invited his disciples in John 1: 39 to come and see his place, Fr. Chittilappilly also throws on open invitation to all to come and see what goes on at the City of God.

MAREDES support two Hospitals

The Marshallan Relief and Development Services (MAREDES), a Non-Governmental Organisation for the Knights and Ladies of Marshal, a Catholic friendly Society, has presented various medical equipment worth GH¢ 150 to two Catholic Hospitals to support their work.

The items which comprised Gynecological, Surgical and laboratory instrument and equipment were presented to National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) for onward distribution to beneficiary Hospitals: the Catholic Hospital at Battor in the Volta Region and the St. Gregory Catholic Hospital at Gomoa-Buduburam, (Liberia Camp) in the Central Region.

Mr. Edward Aloysius Prah, Board Chairman of MARESDES, in a speech said the donation was in line with the society’s aim to expand its charitable services to humanity.

He noted that the donation of medical equipment marks the beginning of series of activities to contribute to improved health service delivery, sanitation awareness creation and public health, which MAREDES has prioritized for the next three years.

He commended Dr. and Mrs. Nartey, accomplished medical officers and a specialist, through whose instrumentality the donation was made.

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Abbey-Quaye, Assistant Secretary General of the NCS, who received the equipment, thanked MAREDES and Dr. and Mrs. Nartey for the donation, and appealed to benevolent and philanthropist to support the hospitals to further Christ healing ministry in the country.

Dr. Anita Appiah of the Directorate for Health at the NCS on behalf of the beneficiary hospitals, also thanked MAREDES and Dr. and Mrs. Nartey for the donation, describing it as an answered prayer to the health facilities, since the equipment were badly needed.

She said the items would go a long way to help in health delivery.       

Present were members of MAREDES, as well as Mr. Ekow Painstil, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Marshal and Madam Rose Erskine, who jointly presented the equipment to the Fr. Abbey-Quaye and Dr. Appiah.       

‘Be firm and fair in discharging your duties’- Chaplains urged

Twenty-five Priests serving as Chaplains in Catholic health institutions across the country were advised to be firm, fair and maintain their neutrality in the discharge of their duties as custodians of medical ethics in order to enhance quality health delivery.

Mr. George Adjei, Director of Health at the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS), who underscored the relevance of the Chaplains health institutions, urged them to strive to understand basic hospital practices, finance and human resources management and the rules governing the institutions in order to effectively help in management and addressing staff issues within the facilities.

He made the appeal at a two-day workshop for Catholic Chaplains of Hospitals in Ghana at the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Koforidua, organised by the Directorate of Health (DOH) at the NCS.      

Very Rev. Fr. John Kwaku Opoku, Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), addressing the topic: “The Chaplain as a Custodian of Catholic Medical Ethics”, said Chaplains have a responsibility to ensure that ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice were observed and preserved at hospitals.

Fr. Opoku, who also Pastors St. Paul’s Parish at Amakom in the Archdiocese of Kumasi, stressed that Chaplains must sensitise hospital staff on the principles of medical ethics, including confidentiality, disclosure and informed consent as well as offer ethics consultation services to the staff.

He emphasized the need for institutionlising Ethics Committees in hospitals, noting that “it is critical that Chaplains are members of hospital ethics committee,” and added that Chaplains must assist patients and their families to complete advance directive, advocate for families in ethical dilemmas and act as intermediaries between patients, their families, communities and health workers.

He observed that it was the duty of Chaplains to identify ethical issues, ensure their full application, and point out on the human value aspects of institutional care.

Fr. Opoku, noted that Chaplains’ role in the healing ministry, sustenance, guidance and bringing reconciliation to the wellbeing of the patient and their stakeholders was indispensable to quality healthcare delivery.

Similarly, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. John Prempeh, SVD, Priest in residence at the St. Charles Lwanga Parish at Abeka, Accra, speaking on: “Promoting the Pro-life concept among Catholic Health Managers and Workers”, charged health workers to make the life of their patients supreme in all they did.

He entreated healthcare professionals including Chaplains to refuse to aid abortion or the procurement of abortion, refuse euthanasia to patients who may even ask for it, adding that the sanctity of life was so sacred that nobody should be allowed to take it.

He observed that human beings were created in God’s image and are blessed with the breathe of life, noting that human beings were not a mere human creation but gifts of God given in creation to be used well, and stressed that “it is only God life who has the power to truncate life”.

On abortion, he noted that direct taking of human life, cannot be excused on the bases that the pregnant woman wants it, entreating all to protect and preserve life from conception to its end.

He therefore charged all health professionals to respect the dignity of life and promote pro-life.

Rev. Msgr. Alex Bobby-Benson, Director of Matthew 25 at Koforidua, ably supported by Sr. Brigid Agbenyo, HDR, Administrator of the St. Vincent de Paul Day Care Centre for the Aged in Tema, jointly took Chaplains through the roles and that of the Health Care Teams in Managing Pain and End of Life among patients.

Msgr. Bobby-Benson, lectured that palliative care, (aimed at reducing suffering among patients), was a relatively new concept in Ghana, and urged Chaplains to work with the Heath Care Team to make a difference in the lives of the patient and their families.

He noted that palliative care was time consuming and a challenging area to go into, but entreated Chaplains to be committed and passionate in offering the care, since it has rewarding benefits to the patients and their families.

“Chaplains have a duty to help people die with dignity and peacefully,” he added.          

Mr. Lawrence Ofosu Adjare, Coordinator, Health Systems Management at the DOH, treated the topic: Chaplain’s Role in Management of Institutions, and advised Chaplains to be interested in team dynamics, medico-legal issues, conflict resolutions and disciplinary procedures at the Hospitals.

To enhance the role of Chaplains, he called for continuous professional development, clarified roles and long term development plans and high level policy commitment among Chaplains.

Ms. Alberta Asiedu of the DOH, updated the Chaplains on SECAM’s HIV interventions, from a recent Conference she attended in South Africa.          

Most of the Chaplains at end of the workshop agreed they have been enriched with new insight about their roles.

 

*The Participants at the Workshop

National World Day of the Sick launched at Dzodze

Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop Responsible for Health of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), recently launched the National 23^rd World Day of the Sick at the St. Anthony’s Hospital, Dzodze, with an appeal to health professionals to attach importance and care to the sick who visit their facilities.

The programme organised by the Directorate of Health of the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) in collaboration with the Keta- Akatsi Diocesan Health Service was on the theme:  “I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame” (Job 29:15).   

Highlighting the theme for the occasion, Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum, who is also the Bishop of Koforidua, urged all involved in healthcare provision to extend utmost care to patients and endeavour to be the eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.

The Bishop, reading the Pope’s message for the occasion reechoed the need to spend quality time with the sick, which the words of the Holy Father states “Time spent with the sick is holy time”, adding that “it is a way of praising God who conforms us to the image of his Son”.

Mr. George Adjei, Director of Health at the NCS, stated that the Church in her wisdom elevated its mission to healthcare by establishing a Pontifical Council for Health Workers in Rome in 1982, to consciously raise and find solutions to issues in the world of the sick and suffering.     

In spite of current challenges, he said the National Catholic Health Service was finding new ways to promote the Church’s teaching in healthcare, adding that they are discussing broad interventions targeted at care givers, the patient as an individual, their families and communities for home-based care.

“This new efforts will complement the support we are giving to managers of our training colleges, hospitals, clinics and our Chaplains, to intensify orientation for our newly engaged staff, periodic staff retreats, patient counselling services, community and home-based care, education on the ethics of the Church, celebration of Patron Saint Feast Days” and others that set us apart as Catholic Health providers,” he added.

He assured that the Directorate will work closely with the Professional Guilds and the Federation of Catholic Health Trainees to bring them closer the National Catholic Health Service in celebrations such as the World Day of the Sick.   

Mr. Adjei hinted that the Bishops’ Conference has mandated the Directorate in conjunction with Medical Ethics Commission to organise an international conference on Pro-Life sometime in August.

The Director of Health also appealed to the GCBC to appoint Chaplains with mandate beyond Church institutions.  

In a welcome address, Mr. Christian Akoto-Brown, Keta-Akatsi Director for Health, observed that the Day was a special one for the sick, health workers and all people of good will, adding that it was a call for all to recognize the holy face of Christ through the suffering patients.

He prayed that the celebration of the Day may bring health workers closer to the suffering sick in their facilities.

Most Rev. Anthony Kwami Adanuty, Bishop of Keta-Akatsi Diocese, who chaired the function thanked the health workers for the good work they were doing and prayed for God’s blessing on them.

Present at the ceremony were Most Rev. Gabriel A. A. Mante, Bishop of Jasikan Diocese, Catholic Chaplains in various Catholic Hospital in the country, some Diocesan Executive Secretaries of Health, representatives of Catholic Hospitals, as well as the Chiefs and people of Dzodze and surrounding communities.

As part of the celebration, Dr. Nicholas Akakpo-Ashiadey, Medical Officer at the Sacred Heart Hospital at Abor, was adjudged the overall Best Health worker for the Keta-Akatsi Diocese in 2014. Others awardees were Dr. Woedem Aku Tettey, Medical Officer at the St. Anthony’s Hospital and Madam Gertrude Danu, Senior Nursing Officer and Midwife in-charge of the Maternity Ward at the St. Anthony’s Hospital, Dzodze.

Dr. Akakpo-Ashiadey, on behalf of the awardees thanked the organisers for the recognition and dedicated the awards to the patients and staff without whom they would not have achieved the awards.

*The Awardees with the Prelates and the dignitaries at the Launch.