From George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
A gang of mobile phone snatchers, operating in a white KIA Pride taxi in parts of the Kumasi metropolis, has succeeded in robbing a number of ladies of their mobile phones and money at gunpoint over the past three weeks.
Some of the victims, who spoke to The Mirror when they called at the Kumasi office last Tuesday, expressed concern about the mode of operation of the robbers and therefore appealed to the Kumasi Metropolitan Police Command to intensify their patrols in the evenings.
They also warned the travelling public to be wary when they see three young men as occupants in a white KIA Pride taxi, who speak Hausa and incoherent Akan, adding, “They entice passengers, especially women, and rob them at gunpoint in secluded areas in the Kumasi metropolis.”
They could, however, not recollect the registration number of the white KIA Pride, but were emphatic that “that particular taxi had been used to rob a number of women including the five of us”.
According to the ladies, the occupants in the taxi who were mostly three in number, enticed them to board the vehicle, and after taking them to a point in the course of the journey, they would pounce on them, assault them at gunpoint and rob them of their money, mobile phones and other valuables.
They added that immediately after robbing them, the robbers would temporarily blind their victims by rubbing ointment on their eyes before dumping them in a secluded area, then speed off.
The ladies made individual reports to the police after their ordeal but so far the police have not made any arrest.
Their spokesperson, a 33-year-old lady, Ms Georgina Smeldley, who is a secretary in one of the industries in Kumasi, told The Mirror that they were attacked in separate areas in Kumasi and at different times “but it seems they use the same vehicle and mode of operation”.
Elaborating, Ms Smedley said she in particular was attacked on Saturday, April 5, 2008 when she boarded a white KIA Pride taxi at the Timber Gardens in Kumasi.
“After boarding the taxi which already had three occupants including the driver around 6:15 p.m., I noticed that the driver locked the doors and instead of using the Atonsu road where I was going, the driver branched off the Kaase road. Just then the one at the front seat quickly jumped to the back seat to join his colleague and I was sandwiched between them before they assaulted me at gunpoint while the driver sped off”.
She said to prevent her from shouting to attract public attention or struggle with them, they pinned her head down, tied her hands and threatened to blow off her head if she dared make any noise.
Ms Smeldley said after succeeding in robbing her of her two mobile phones, GH¢400 and some personal items, they took out a hot ointment and rubbed it into her eyes to temporarily blind her before dumping her in an isolated area which she later identified as the outskirts of Kaase.
She said it was when she reported to the police after receiving medical care that she got to know that four other ladies had also been robbed using such a taxi with three young men who spoke Hausa and incoherent Akan.
“I managed to contact them and we decided to come here to warn the public, especially women, about the danger of boarding a white KIA Pride cab in the evening”.
The others corroborated her story and said they had also been robbed at gunpoint in different parts of Kumasi after they boarded the taxi.
They mentioned the outskirts of TUC, Santasi roundabout, Ahwodwo and Ahensan Estate as areas where they were dumped after their attackers had robbed them of their mobile phones, money and other valuables. They appealed to the police to intensify their patrols in the evenings to arrest the criminals.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Refrain from polarising state — Nana Appau
28th March
Story: George Ernest
Asare, Bekwai
THE Paramount Chief of Bekwai Traditional Area, Nana Karikari Appau, has reiterated the need for Ghanaians to refrain from actions that could polarise the state in the run up to the December general election.
He pointed out that elections were not meant for the electorate to antagonise each other to create a state of anarchy that can impede accelerated and sustainable national development, but a process of choosing people with leadership qualities to manage state affairs in a more effective and efficient way .
He said it was therefore very important for political parties in the country and their supporters to collaborate effectively with the Electoral Commission (EC) to create a conducive atmosphere in the run up to the December general election to firmly sustain the peace being enjoyed.
This, he said, would provide avenues for the EC to conduct free and fair elections that would not only win the confidence of the electorate, but would also sustain the respect the country enjoyed from the international community.
Nana Karikari Appau gave the advice during the annual fund raising harvest in Bekwai at the weekend.
The fund raising harvest had created a platform for citizens of Bekwai at home and abroad to interact in a more fruitful manner and also support the development initiatives of the traditional authorities of Bekwai for accelerated socio-economic development to take place.
Monies raised over the years had gone into the development of educational infrastructure, health care facilities and the provision of scholarship schemes to support the education of brilliant needy students in the Bekwai traditional area to enable them to focus on their academic work.
This years’ fund raising was meant to raise adequate resources to develop the Gyamfi Park at Bekwai which is in a deplorable state. This was to enable the youth who have interest in sports to nurture them into fruition for their benefits and that of the state.
Nana Karikari Appau, commended the people of Bekwai for their communal spirit and urged them to sustain it as a way of complementing the government’s quest of initiating programmes and policies that would enhance accelerated development of the traditional area.
An Accra based business consultant, Mr Kofi Mensah, who chaired the function donated GH¢1000 towards the project and commended Nana Karikari Appau for his sense of initiative.
He urged all well endowed citizens of Bekwai and its environs to support the annual fund raising programme as a way of nurturing communal spirit as a legacy for the youth to emulate.
He said with effective educational infrastructure and quality health care facilities at Bekwai, the youth in particular would be encouraged to focus on their academic work and develop their potentials very well.
This, he said, would enable them to acquire employable skills and become responsible citizens, ready to contribute their quota towards future development of the community.
In his address, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Richard Aboagye, assured them that the assembly would fence the entire Gyamfi Park as its contribution to the early completion of the project.
He said with the fencing of the park, any money raised by the Bekwai community could be used to develop other facilities for the early completion of the project.
Story: George Ernest
Asare, Bekwai
THE Paramount Chief of Bekwai Traditional Area, Nana Karikari Appau, has reiterated the need for Ghanaians to refrain from actions that could polarise the state in the run up to the December general election.
He pointed out that elections were not meant for the electorate to antagonise each other to create a state of anarchy that can impede accelerated and sustainable national development, but a process of choosing people with leadership qualities to manage state affairs in a more effective and efficient way .
He said it was therefore very important for political parties in the country and their supporters to collaborate effectively with the Electoral Commission (EC) to create a conducive atmosphere in the run up to the December general election to firmly sustain the peace being enjoyed.
This, he said, would provide avenues for the EC to conduct free and fair elections that would not only win the confidence of the electorate, but would also sustain the respect the country enjoyed from the international community.
Nana Karikari Appau gave the advice during the annual fund raising harvest in Bekwai at the weekend.
The fund raising harvest had created a platform for citizens of Bekwai at home and abroad to interact in a more fruitful manner and also support the development initiatives of the traditional authorities of Bekwai for accelerated socio-economic development to take place.
Monies raised over the years had gone into the development of educational infrastructure, health care facilities and the provision of scholarship schemes to support the education of brilliant needy students in the Bekwai traditional area to enable them to focus on their academic work.
This years’ fund raising was meant to raise adequate resources to develop the Gyamfi Park at Bekwai which is in a deplorable state. This was to enable the youth who have interest in sports to nurture them into fruition for their benefits and that of the state.
Nana Karikari Appau, commended the people of Bekwai for their communal spirit and urged them to sustain it as a way of complementing the government’s quest of initiating programmes and policies that would enhance accelerated development of the traditional area.
An Accra based business consultant, Mr Kofi Mensah, who chaired the function donated GH¢1000 towards the project and commended Nana Karikari Appau for his sense of initiative.
He urged all well endowed citizens of Bekwai and its environs to support the annual fund raising programme as a way of nurturing communal spirit as a legacy for the youth to emulate.
He said with effective educational infrastructure and quality health care facilities at Bekwai, the youth in particular would be encouraged to focus on their academic work and develop their potentials very well.
This, he said, would enable them to acquire employable skills and become responsible citizens, ready to contribute their quota towards future development of the community.
In his address, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Richard Aboagye, assured them that the assembly would fence the entire Gyamfi Park as its contribution to the early completion of the project.
He said with the fencing of the park, any money raised by the Bekwai community could be used to develop other facilities for the early completion of the project.
Police look for runaway driver
March 25
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
THE police in Kumasi are hunting for a taxi driver who was alleged to have knocked down a Community Police Officer, killing him in the process after the deceased had sustained severe head and leg injuries.
According to an eyewitness, the taxi driver, who is yet to be identified, first hit the deceased who was at that time directing traffic at the Patasi Estate in Kumasi, and he fell on the bonnet of the taxi.
The eyewitness said while the deceased was still on the bonnet and struggling to hold firmly on to the side windows, the driver ignored public outcry and sped off for more than three kilometres and finally dumped him in a trench, causing him to suffer severe head injuries.
He died before he could receive medical care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was rushed to.
The body has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy, while the police are looking for the suspect who was alleged to have vanished as soon as the taxi plunged into the trench.
Mr Michael Owusu Gyamfi, who was on duty together with the deceased, told the Daily Graphic that while directing traffic at the Patasi Estate Junction, around 8:30 a.m., they spotted a cargo truck fully loaded with bags of cement coming from Patasi towards Sofoline, so they flagged vehicles from Patasi Estate to stop to give way to the cargo truck.
He said as the truck came close, they realised that the driver of the KIA Pride taxi, with registration number AS 7687 Y had ignored their directive and recklessly crossing the path of the cargo truck.
According to Mr Gyamfi, he attempted noting down the registration number of the taxi while his deceased colleague went to advise the driver to behave on the road to avoid any accident.
He said just at that time, the driver suddenly turned the car and hit the deceased on the pavement, causing him to fall on the bonnet, and sped off while he was still on the bonnet struggling to hold firmly on to the windows.
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
THE police in Kumasi are hunting for a taxi driver who was alleged to have knocked down a Community Police Officer, killing him in the process after the deceased had sustained severe head and leg injuries.
According to an eyewitness, the taxi driver, who is yet to be identified, first hit the deceased who was at that time directing traffic at the Patasi Estate in Kumasi, and he fell on the bonnet of the taxi.
The eyewitness said while the deceased was still on the bonnet and struggling to hold firmly on to the side windows, the driver ignored public outcry and sped off for more than three kilometres and finally dumped him in a trench, causing him to suffer severe head injuries.
He died before he could receive medical care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he was rushed to.
The body has been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy, while the police are looking for the suspect who was alleged to have vanished as soon as the taxi plunged into the trench.
Mr Michael Owusu Gyamfi, who was on duty together with the deceased, told the Daily Graphic that while directing traffic at the Patasi Estate Junction, around 8:30 a.m., they spotted a cargo truck fully loaded with bags of cement coming from Patasi towards Sofoline, so they flagged vehicles from Patasi Estate to stop to give way to the cargo truck.
He said as the truck came close, they realised that the driver of the KIA Pride taxi, with registration number AS 7687 Y had ignored their directive and recklessly crossing the path of the cargo truck.
According to Mr Gyamfi, he attempted noting down the registration number of the taxi while his deceased colleague went to advise the driver to behave on the road to avoid any accident.
He said just at that time, the driver suddenly turned the car and hit the deceased on the pavement, causing him to fall on the bonnet, and sped off while he was still on the bonnet struggling to hold firmly on to the windows.
Student stabbed to death
Story: George Ernest Asare,
Kumasi
Tuesday March 25, 2008
A FORM two student of the Konongo Odumasi Senior High School met his untimely death when he was stabbed last week.
The deceased, Gabriel Ntim, together with two of his schoolmates, was confronted by 15 gangsters in front of a shop near the Baba Yara Stadium, where they were seeking shelter from a rainstorm.
The students, who were participating in the just-ended Super Zonal Athletics Competition involving senior high schools in the Ashanti Region, were alleged to have been ordered by the gangsters, who had disguised themselves with black headgear, to surrender all items on them.
Just as the deceased was about to hand over his bag and its contents to the gang, one of the gangsters pulled a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
When the police arrived at the crime scene after the other two students had called for help, the gangsters had vanished from the scene with the deceased’s bag and mobile phone.
Ntim reportedly died before he could receive medical care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he was rushed to by the police.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Seth Charles Oteng, who confirmed the story, said that no arrest had been made but gave the assurance that the police had intensified their investigations.
He said an autopsy on the deceased revealed that he died as a result of excessive bleeding.
He appealed to members of the public to assist the police in their investigations for the arrest of the gangsters.
Kumasi
Tuesday March 25, 2008
A FORM two student of the Konongo Odumasi Senior High School met his untimely death when he was stabbed last week.
The deceased, Gabriel Ntim, together with two of his schoolmates, was confronted by 15 gangsters in front of a shop near the Baba Yara Stadium, where they were seeking shelter from a rainstorm.
The students, who were participating in the just-ended Super Zonal Athletics Competition involving senior high schools in the Ashanti Region, were alleged to have been ordered by the gangsters, who had disguised themselves with black headgear, to surrender all items on them.
Just as the deceased was about to hand over his bag and its contents to the gang, one of the gangsters pulled a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
When the police arrived at the crime scene after the other two students had called for help, the gangsters had vanished from the scene with the deceased’s bag and mobile phone.
Ntim reportedly died before he could receive medical care at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where he was rushed to by the police.
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, ACP Seth Charles Oteng, who confirmed the story, said that no arrest had been made but gave the assurance that the police had intensified their investigations.
He said an autopsy on the deceased revealed that he died as a result of excessive bleeding.
He appealed to members of the public to assist the police in their investigations for the arrest of the gangsters.
Friday, April 18, 2008
TUC WORRIED OVER POVERTY LEVELS (PAGE 54)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The acting Secretary- General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, has expressed concern about the poverty level of majority of workers in Ghana as a result of low salaries and wages paid them over the years.
He has therefore called on all sister unions in the country to forge a united front and fight for the welfare of workers to enable them to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
He pointed out that many workers who had served the nation for years were not only working under very poor conditions, and facing income insecurity, but also continued to receive salaries and wages that ranked among the lowest on the continent.
Addressing District and Regional executives of the Ashanti Region at the first executive meeting in Kumasi, Mr Asamoah noted that the need for workers to join or form different unions as enshrined in their constitution was to enhance leadership qualities that would ensure accountability and efficiency to fight for workers’ rights and welfare.
He, however, pointed out that the challenges of globalisation “ in which giant corporations still see the need to merge, pose the task of greater unity among the union movement”, stressing that “splits are not the way to face numerous challenges facing the union movement. Splits are an indication of disunity, and no union will thrive on disunity, particularly in a globalised economy”.
“We cannot deal with these challenges if we do not strengthen the labour front,” he stressed, adding, “We need to continually be guided by the cardinal principle of unity and solidarity. That is the only way we can achieve fairness for our members and Ghanaian workers generally.”
According to Mr Asamoah, there are over 600,000 public sector workers providing various services in very important areas such as health, education, water, sanitation, electricity and security as a way of propelling Ghana to achieve economic stabilisation.
“These are the people who keep Ghana going,” he noted, adding, “Without the public service and public sector workers, the private sector, which is regarded as the engine of growth, cannot perform. And without public sector workers, the trade union movement will not be as strong and vibrant as it is today, because the public sector constitutes 70 per cent of trade union membership in Ghana.”
On the various reforms initiated to address the disparities in wages and salaries of workers in the country, Mr Asamoah said, they had not been successful because of “over-reliance on external consultants who do not have adequate knowledge of the challenges confronting the public sector”.
He said for the reforms to be successful, it was equally important for the authorities in charge of the implementation of such reforms to ensure that “the public servants in managing the reform have solid understanding of all the elements of the reform, and that time and resources are budgeted to build commitment of all stakeholders in the reform through dialogue”.
Mr Asamoah expressed the hope that the ongoing public sector reform would address the unfairness that characterised public sector pay and also appealed to the government to “pay public sector workers well and motivate them enough for increased productivity”.
On the December general election, Mr Asamoah expressed the hope that it would be as peaceful as the previous ones.
He urged political party leaders and their members “to exercise decorum in their electioneering, and refrain from actions that can inflame passions unnecessarily, thereby leading to chaos in the country”.
The acting Secretary- General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, has expressed concern about the poverty level of majority of workers in Ghana as a result of low salaries and wages paid them over the years.
He has therefore called on all sister unions in the country to forge a united front and fight for the welfare of workers to enable them to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
He pointed out that many workers who had served the nation for years were not only working under very poor conditions, and facing income insecurity, but also continued to receive salaries and wages that ranked among the lowest on the continent.
Addressing District and Regional executives of the Ashanti Region at the first executive meeting in Kumasi, Mr Asamoah noted that the need for workers to join or form different unions as enshrined in their constitution was to enhance leadership qualities that would ensure accountability and efficiency to fight for workers’ rights and welfare.
He, however, pointed out that the challenges of globalisation “ in which giant corporations still see the need to merge, pose the task of greater unity among the union movement”, stressing that “splits are not the way to face numerous challenges facing the union movement. Splits are an indication of disunity, and no union will thrive on disunity, particularly in a globalised economy”.
“We cannot deal with these challenges if we do not strengthen the labour front,” he stressed, adding, “We need to continually be guided by the cardinal principle of unity and solidarity. That is the only way we can achieve fairness for our members and Ghanaian workers generally.”
According to Mr Asamoah, there are over 600,000 public sector workers providing various services in very important areas such as health, education, water, sanitation, electricity and security as a way of propelling Ghana to achieve economic stabilisation.
“These are the people who keep Ghana going,” he noted, adding, “Without the public service and public sector workers, the private sector, which is regarded as the engine of growth, cannot perform. And without public sector workers, the trade union movement will not be as strong and vibrant as it is today, because the public sector constitutes 70 per cent of trade union membership in Ghana.”
On the various reforms initiated to address the disparities in wages and salaries of workers in the country, Mr Asamoah said, they had not been successful because of “over-reliance on external consultants who do not have adequate knowledge of the challenges confronting the public sector”.
He said for the reforms to be successful, it was equally important for the authorities in charge of the implementation of such reforms to ensure that “the public servants in managing the reform have solid understanding of all the elements of the reform, and that time and resources are budgeted to build commitment of all stakeholders in the reform through dialogue”.
Mr Asamoah expressed the hope that the ongoing public sector reform would address the unfairness that characterised public sector pay and also appealed to the government to “pay public sector workers well and motivate them enough for increased productivity”.
On the December general election, Mr Asamoah expressed the hope that it would be as peaceful as the previous ones.
He urged political party leaders and their members “to exercise decorum in their electioneering, and refrain from actions that can inflame passions unnecessarily, thereby leading to chaos in the country”.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
WOMEN ACTIVISTS CAUTION STUDENTS (PAGE 29)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The Kumasi branch of Soroptimist International, an NGO, has called on final-year students at Junior High Schools in the country to refrain from actions that
are likely to jeopardise their academic work and future prospects as they prepare to enter a new stage of life.
According to the NGO, immorality, indiscipline and laziness seem to becoming the hallmark of a section of the youth today, making them neglect their books and indulge in negative practices that eventually cripple their lives.
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation of professional women and women in management working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women, children and the deprived in society.
It strives to maintain high ethical standards in business, promote human rights for all people, develop the spirit of friendship and unity among its members across the globe, quicken the spirit of service and human understanding, and contribute more meaningfully to international understanding and universal friendship to enhance peaceful co-existence among mankind.
The organisation, which is open to women who have distinguished themselves in various fields, also strives to support and improve the living conditions of women and children worldwide.
It was formed in 1921 in California and now has over 3000 clubs worldwide in about 120 countries.
Addressing final-year students of Ridge International Junior High School in Kumasi on Tuesday, the President of the Kumasi branch, Mrs Betty Ayeh, urged the students to be respectful, honest law-abiding and concentrate on their academic work, to enable them to realise their dreams of becoming responsible citizens in future.
Speaking on the topic: “Promoting morality and discipline amongst JHS students in the Kumasi metropolis”, Mrs Ayeh said when people respected the rules and regulations governing society, a conducive atmosphere and aura of peace that enhanced socio-economic development was created.
She said poor upbringing of children due to laxity of supervision by parents caused children to live in their own world, where they resort to adventurous activities that eventually led them into trouble.
She pointed out that parents should not only guide their children always in their daily activities, but should also supervise them to ensure that they did the right things, and abided by the rules of law.
“Some children are over-pampered at home, making them enjoy too much freedom, and this eventually affect their lives,” she complained.
She said out of boredom and peer pressure, some of the children also indulged in sex, smoking of cigarettes, and the sniffing of cocaine, which destroyed their lives.
She therefore urged them to plan their lives in a way that would make it possible for them to realise their ambition of becoming responsible citizens in future.
For her part, the past President of the organisation, Mrs Ruth Brenya, said there was always a standard for good behaviour that the youth were supposed to follow.
She said whilst the youth had the liberty to enjoy their youthful days, they should not be tempted to do things that were strictly practised by adults.
“Inappropriate behaviours have bad consequences, so you should always refrain from them,” she advised.
The Kumasi branch of Soroptimist International, an NGO, has called on final-year students at Junior High Schools in the country to refrain from actions that
are likely to jeopardise their academic work and future prospects as they prepare to enter a new stage of life.
According to the NGO, immorality, indiscipline and laziness seem to becoming the hallmark of a section of the youth today, making them neglect their books and indulge in negative practices that eventually cripple their lives.
Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation of professional women and women in management working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women, children and the deprived in society.
It strives to maintain high ethical standards in business, promote human rights for all people, develop the spirit of friendship and unity among its members across the globe, quicken the spirit of service and human understanding, and contribute more meaningfully to international understanding and universal friendship to enhance peaceful co-existence among mankind.
The organisation, which is open to women who have distinguished themselves in various fields, also strives to support and improve the living conditions of women and children worldwide.
It was formed in 1921 in California and now has over 3000 clubs worldwide in about 120 countries.
Addressing final-year students of Ridge International Junior High School in Kumasi on Tuesday, the President of the Kumasi branch, Mrs Betty Ayeh, urged the students to be respectful, honest law-abiding and concentrate on their academic work, to enable them to realise their dreams of becoming responsible citizens in future.
Speaking on the topic: “Promoting morality and discipline amongst JHS students in the Kumasi metropolis”, Mrs Ayeh said when people respected the rules and regulations governing society, a conducive atmosphere and aura of peace that enhanced socio-economic development was created.
She said poor upbringing of children due to laxity of supervision by parents caused children to live in their own world, where they resort to adventurous activities that eventually led them into trouble.
She pointed out that parents should not only guide their children always in their daily activities, but should also supervise them to ensure that they did the right things, and abided by the rules of law.
“Some children are over-pampered at home, making them enjoy too much freedom, and this eventually affect their lives,” she complained.
She said out of boredom and peer pressure, some of the children also indulged in sex, smoking of cigarettes, and the sniffing of cocaine, which destroyed their lives.
She therefore urged them to plan their lives in a way that would make it possible for them to realise their ambition of becoming responsible citizens in future.
For her part, the past President of the organisation, Mrs Ruth Brenya, said there was always a standard for good behaviour that the youth were supposed to follow.
She said whilst the youth had the liberty to enjoy their youthful days, they should not be tempted to do things that were strictly practised by adults.
“Inappropriate behaviours have bad consequences, so you should always refrain from them,” she advised.
ASANTEMAN TO SUPPORT KATH HEART FOUNDATION (PAGE 30)
Published on March 18)
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has given the assurance that Asanteman will support the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s(KATH) Heart Foundation launched last year to enable the teaching hospital to establish a cardiothoracic centre to address cardio related problems in the northern sector of the country efficiently and effectively.
He said with cardio diseases increasing in their numbers and the cost of treatment soaring, establishing a cardiothoracic centre at the KATH would complement what was available at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and to reduce the cost of travelling to access medical care there.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu gave the assurance when the Chief Executive Officer of the KATH, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, and his management team , together with a team of cardio surgeons from the Boston’s Children’s Hospital in the United States of America (USA), led by Dr Fynn Thompson paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace at the weekend.
Dr Nsiah Asare took the opportunity to brief Otumfuo Osei Tutu about the effective collaboration between the KATH and the US surgeons over the last couple of years which had made it possible for them to perform free open heart surgeries on 19 children suffering from cardio vascular diseases at the KATH .
He explained that eight children benefited from the initiative in October last year when the KATH made history by performing the first ever open heart surgery during the visit by the surgeons from the Boston Children’s Hospital.
He said when the team arrived in Kumasi last week, they screened as many as 100 patients who were suffering from cardio related diseases but they managed to perform free open heart surgeries on 11 of them.
He said the cost of performing an open heart surgery for each patient was between $ 50,000 and $55, 000.
In addition to the free open heart surgeries, the team also donated the equipment used for the operation to the hospital .
According to Dr Nsiah Asare, the long term plans between the KATH and the US surgical team was to establish a cardiothoracic centre in Kumasi to address emerging cardio diseases.
That, he said, would be in line with the hospital’s vision of becoming a medical tourist centre of international repute, and thereby generating wealth , especially from patients from the West African sub-region as its contribution to the accelerated and sustainable socio-economic development of the country.
He said it was to realise the hospital’s vision within the next two years that management launched the cardio fund to solicit financial support from institutions, organisations, the business community and individuals, and therefore, appealed to the Asantehene to support their initiative to enhance quality health care delivery at the KATH.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended the management of the KATH for initiating the project in Kumasi, and called on the business community, institutions, organisations and individuals in the country to actively support the initiatives of the KATH management.
He said traditional authorities in Asanteman would also provide the requisite support in cash and kind for the establishment of the centre within its time frame to enhance quality health care delivery.
He also commended Dr Fynn Thompson and his team for performing the free open heart surgeries for the beneficiaries by giving them the chance to live as normal human beings.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said without that opportunity, their parents would not have been able to raise money to treat them.
He said building the capacity of medical officers at the KATH to enable them to take full control of the centre when it was established was also important and, therefore, urged Dr Nsiah Asare to address that concern to enable surgeons at the KATH to acquire the requisite skills for the task ahea
Story: George Ernest Asare, Kumasi
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has given the assurance that Asanteman will support the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s(KATH) Heart Foundation launched last year to enable the teaching hospital to establish a cardiothoracic centre to address cardio related problems in the northern sector of the country efficiently and effectively.
He said with cardio diseases increasing in their numbers and the cost of treatment soaring, establishing a cardiothoracic centre at the KATH would complement what was available at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and to reduce the cost of travelling to access medical care there.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu gave the assurance when the Chief Executive Officer of the KATH, Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, and his management team , together with a team of cardio surgeons from the Boston’s Children’s Hospital in the United States of America (USA), led by Dr Fynn Thompson paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace at the weekend.
Dr Nsiah Asare took the opportunity to brief Otumfuo Osei Tutu about the effective collaboration between the KATH and the US surgeons over the last couple of years which had made it possible for them to perform free open heart surgeries on 19 children suffering from cardio vascular diseases at the KATH .
He explained that eight children benefited from the initiative in October last year when the KATH made history by performing the first ever open heart surgery during the visit by the surgeons from the Boston Children’s Hospital.
He said when the team arrived in Kumasi last week, they screened as many as 100 patients who were suffering from cardio related diseases but they managed to perform free open heart surgeries on 11 of them.
He said the cost of performing an open heart surgery for each patient was between $ 50,000 and $55, 000.
In addition to the free open heart surgeries, the team also donated the equipment used for the operation to the hospital .
According to Dr Nsiah Asare, the long term plans between the KATH and the US surgical team was to establish a cardiothoracic centre in Kumasi to address emerging cardio diseases.
That, he said, would be in line with the hospital’s vision of becoming a medical tourist centre of international repute, and thereby generating wealth , especially from patients from the West African sub-region as its contribution to the accelerated and sustainable socio-economic development of the country.
He said it was to realise the hospital’s vision within the next two years that management launched the cardio fund to solicit financial support from institutions, organisations, the business community and individuals, and therefore, appealed to the Asantehene to support their initiative to enhance quality health care delivery at the KATH.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu commended the management of the KATH for initiating the project in Kumasi, and called on the business community, institutions, organisations and individuals in the country to actively support the initiatives of the KATH management.
He said traditional authorities in Asanteman would also provide the requisite support in cash and kind for the establishment of the centre within its time frame to enhance quality health care delivery.
He also commended Dr Fynn Thompson and his team for performing the free open heart surgeries for the beneficiaries by giving them the chance to live as normal human beings.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said without that opportunity, their parents would not have been able to raise money to treat them.
He said building the capacity of medical officers at the KATH to enable them to take full control of the centre when it was established was also important and, therefore, urged Dr Nsiah Asare to address that concern to enable surgeons at the KATH to acquire the requisite skills for the task ahea
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