–

Source: UN News

The post UN calls for empowerment of women with autism appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Mrs Delese Mimi Darko, her outfit is partnering with the Pharmacy Council to boost their surveillance.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Mrs Darko said a joint task force will be formed in coming days to champion that agenda.

[contextly_sidebar id=”PhlAs8qhkqTEVpfzD0gxyGzVrKCQ5vYg”]“We are collaborating with the Pharmacy council because they are responsible for the practice of pharmacy and also with the health facilities regulatory agency which also registers pharmacies and chemicals and licensed medicines sellers. We are forming a task team in the next few days. They are doing what they are doing but we think that we should actually come together and move out wider within the regions.”

The FDA CEO said the task force will, among other things, visit possible places that Tramadol is sold, adding that the team will also “visit chemical shops because they [chemical shops] would be obtaining some [of the product] legally, some as well may be obtained at places that we are not aware of.”

Tramadol is a pain relief drug, which according to medical experts, functions like heroin and can cause psychotic problems as well as damage vital organs in the human body if abused.

Recent surveys have shown that the drug is being abused by some youths as well as some market women, drivers and in some cases students.

The Head of Substance Abuse at FDA, Olivia Boateng said on the Citi Breakfast Show last week that FDA is intensifying its surveillance to curb the smuggling of Tramadol in the country.

According to the FDA, its investigation shows that most of the drug comes into the country through unapproved routes making it difficult for them to track its final destination.

“Our investigations revealed that there are people, who were sourcing it from unapproved routes, not from the pharmacy and hospitals. We have intensified monitoring at the ports of entry, trying to curb it through the unauthorized routes,” Olivia Boateng added.

–

By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post FDA partners Pharmacy Council to curb Tramadol abuse appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He said the facility, which has a laboratory, reproductive health department, Out Patients Department, maternal and child health departments and 15 bungalows for staff was in a deplorable state due to the lack of rehabilitation since its establishment.

Nana Alloh made the appeal at a durbar held by the people of Likpe Traditional Area in the Hohoe Municipality to mark this year’s Lekoryi Festival.

He said the health centre was one of the few in the Region with a resident Doctor, midwives with 25 other staff and hence, needed to be given a facelift befitting a health facility.

Nana Alloh said through individual donations and funding from the Likpe Social Endowment Fund (LSEF), some renovation work was done two years ago but a considerable amount of work still needed to be done to enable it to serve the communities well.

He also said the Likpe Water Project, which served other towns in the area formed part of the Rural Water and Sanitation Project but had not been properly funded and maintained.

Nana Alloh said LSEF had provided the necessary funding for the rehabilitation of the project but called on government to help expand the project to other parts, which would cost an estimated amount of GH¢ 2.5 million.

He said the Likpe Senior High School also needed renovation because the school had not seen any major infrastructural change since it was built 50 years ago.

Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, assured that their appeals would be considered.

He said he was glad the people had made project initiation one of their main goals during the celebration of the festival.

Dr Letsa urged all farmers in the community to take advantage of government’s agricultural programmes such as the provision of improved seeds and supply of fertilizer at half price to increase their yields.

He made a pledge of GH¢ 5,000.00 towards the celebration and the water expansion project.

Madam Bernice Adiku Heloo, Member of Parliament, Hohoe also pledged GH¢ 1000 toward the water expansion project.

Lerkoyi is a festival celebrated every two years on Holy Easter Saturday by the Traditional Area as a homecoming event for the indigenes.

It offers them the opportunity to “protect the history and traditions of the land” and plan development projects.

–

Source: GNA

The post Bakua Health Centre needs facelift – Volta Chief appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The award is meant to reward outstanding health professionals who have made significant impact in the country.

This year’s launch came with a call on healthcare providers “to smile with their healthcare personnel.”

The award categories cover best doctors, nurses, mortuary attendants, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, cleaners, diagnostic sciences and auxiliary staff selected from the public, private and mission healthcare centres nationwide through an exhaustive research process.

A total of 24 health personnel will be awarded.

Speaking at the launch, the President of MEA, slammed some political parties who seek to politicize the award scheme by funding it.

According to him, this will undermine the independency and credibility of the award, stating even though the scheme is struggling to generate funds, the council will not politicize the awards to favour any political party.

“Funding has been an issue, and people want to fund and then want to be decision takers, and the medical excellence award is not the platform for that. The council we have cannot be bought with money. Within 2011 and 2105 we have had institutions and government who have come on board and want to absorb 80 to 90 percent of the budget and then tell you the angle from which the awards should go. We don’t want it,” he said.

“We need money but don’t come and dictate for us because when that happens we would not know the true winners of the award. We are not going to be tagged as political because we need money from the government. If government wants to support us genuinely without any interference we will take it. There are people who have cited national awards that have been political, but we don’t want to follow that trend. We will not do that.”

Dr Natalia Brightson, who emerged  Best Doctor for last year was given her the rest of her awards and was honoured for her good work.

Health officials from the Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Health were present to grace the occasion

The Medical Excellence Award is also sponsored by Vanguard Assurance, PZ Cussons and special ice mineral water.

–

By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 4th Medical Excellence Awards launched appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Service, the man, who has been identified as James Yeboah, had not been authorised to offer such healthcare, and has been ordered to stop practising.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DORQHCQareOElHG59UhEJskAOgSknLbQ”]Speaking to Citi News, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie, said his outfit was still investigating the incident with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

“Indeed, he [James Yeboah] has been stopped from practising as he was not authorised by the Ghana Health Service at the national, regional or district [level] to conduct this activity in the facility. So he has been stopped from practising in that facility to make sure that he doesn’t put other people at risk,” Dr. Badu Sarkodie said.

Over the weekend, James Yeboah was arrested along with the manager of the facility, Simon Takeramah, who has since been granted bail.

The matter of suspected negligence resulted in the death of a 31-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man.

FDA probe

The FDA has said its preliminary investigations indicate that the deaths may have been caused by contaminated medication.

The FDA noted that the deceased persons suffered adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that these reactions may be due to contaminated 0.9% Normal Saline, the solution which was used to reconstitute (mix) the Benzathine Penicillin Powder for Injection. The 0.9% Normal Saline Solution was reported to have been opened and used repeatedly for several days which might have resulted in the contamination,” a statement from the FDA explained.

Since then, the District Health Directorate has ordered the centre to stop all injections at that facility until further notice.

Samples from the deceased patients have also been taken for investigations at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical research.

–

By: Marie-Franz Fordjoe/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Injection deaths: Senchi health worker was operating illegally – GHS appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The challenges facing the Hospital have caught the attention of stakeholders including the Savannah Development, a policy think tank, which has expressed grave concern about the issue.

The think Tank has therefore called on the government to come to the aid of the Hospital by providing both human and logistical support to enable it to deliver quality services to the people.

[contextly_sidebar id=”iM80yORRj6X5uZ6qVnoxG5cX9NbwIkST”]Mr. Abu Kansangbata, the acting Executive Director of Savannah Development, who made the call in a statement copied to GNA, raised concerns about the deplorable state of the Hospital.

According to Savannah Development, its investigations showed the hospital was in dire need of personnel like medical doctors, pharmacists, biochemical scientists, pathologists and paediatricians among other critical staff.

“It is stunning to note that the hospital has one of the worse doctor-patient ratio of one doctor to over 500 patients,” it said.

In the area of equipment, the investigations also revealed that the hospital lacks CT Scan, X-Ray machine, computers for entering data and other machines for clinical laboratory investigations.

It said the government’s slogan of “Ghana Beyond Aid” would not be achieved if pertinent issues such as that facing the health facility continued to hinder healthcare delivery in the country.

It therefore called for immediate deployment of health personnel and equipment to help improve healthcare delivery in the hospital.

The statement also called for immediate completion of the new Regional Hospital facility to boost access to quality healthcare services in the Region.

–

Source: GNA

The post U/West Regional Hospital urgently needs staff, logistics – Think Tank appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

VALD says that the failure to address the issue is likely to increase drug addicts.

Its Programmes Director,  Labram Musah made the call on the back of recent appeals to regulate the use of painkiller, Tramadol over concerns of its abuse by the youth.

He said the sale of single sticks of cigarettes had become problematic since it was cheaper than a full pack of cigarettes and, consequently, made tobacco more affordable to the youth and other individuals with limited resources.

He noted that due to the exposure of children to cigarettes on sale at stands where they purchase biscuits and sweets, the children are quickly lured to start using a harmful product.

Speaking at a news conference, he noted that children in areas such as Nima, Maamobi, Kokomlemle and some parts of Osu community in Accra where VALD conducted a survey were at risk of smoking at a very tender age.

The Programmes Director said: “One of the measures to aid the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals is the tax on tobacco products; it will serve as the revenue stream for government and also discourage smoking and initiation.”

Mr Musah urged the MoH and FDA and all relevant authorities to monitor the British America Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI) to prevent them from their activities of supplying free promotional materials to tobacco retailers to create recognition of their brands and to encourage the sale of their products.

He said the authorities should enforce the ban on all forms of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship and this should include any advertising or promotional materials related to single sticks.

Musah said the enforcement of the ban would be in line with Article 13 and 16 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the national tobacco control laws and regulations.

“The authorities must also ensure that cigarettes are not sold close to educational institutions, hospitals, children playing grounds and places where children are cared for while ensuring that the aspects of the tobacco control laws and regulations protecting children are strictly adhered to.”

He said the newest trend had been the introduction of shisha/waterpipe tobacco and that the youth accepted, which was far dangerous than the traditional cigarette and contributed to diseases such as, Tuberculosis and hepatitis, among others.

–

By: Philip Nii Lartey/citifmonline.com/Ghana with files from GNA

The post NGO appeals for strict anti-tobacco laws appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They were made up of herbal medicines, alkaline water, and some expired drugs, which were voluntarily brought from pharmacies and hospitals to the FDA in accordance with the Public Health Act.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SArfAJvWDj6Mkf0KcNDtw0hYYP15ibNR”]The products were disposed off and burnt at the Nkanfoa dumping site in the presence of officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Public Health Division of Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly and the security agencies.

Mr John Odai-Tettey, Regional Head of the Authority in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the products were seized during its market surveillance, unannounced inspections and investigations into product complaints by people.

He said some of them were unregistered while others had expired.

The FDA, he said, was mandated to monitor the safety quality and efficacy of products on the market to ensure that the products met the requirement and conditions under which they were registered to guarantee consumer safety.

Mr Odai-Tettey said the FDA would not relent on its mandate of ensuring public safety by insisting that products met quality standards.

He advised consumers to critically read the labels on food items, check the expiry date, batch number and legibility of the manufacturers before patronising products.

Again, he reminded consumers to properly examine products to satisfy themselves of the quality and the expiry date before purchasing to avoid consuming expired products ahead of the Easter festivities.

Mr Odai-Tettey encouraged consumers to be bold to expose those dealing in such unwholesome goods by reporting to the FDA for prompt action.

–

Source: GNA

The post FDA destroys unwholesome products in Cape Coast appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The medication in question, o.9% Normal Saline, is believed to have been contaminated after being used multiple times, according to a statement from the FDA.

[contextly_sidebar id=”HwoIKeXY2LeKr7ke8tlOngIzQ8IFVful”]The deceased include a 31-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man.

The deceased persons suffered “adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths,” the FDA said.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that these reactions may be due to contaminated 0.9% Normal Saline, the solution which was used to reconstitute (mix) the Benzathine Penicillin Powder for Injection. The 0.9% Normal Saline Solution was reported to have been opened and used repeatedly for several days which might have resulted in the contamination,” the statement from the FDA explained.

The FDA has also dispatched a team to Akrade to investigate the issue in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service.

The Director of Public Health at Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie earlier confirmed the developments to Citi News and said the service was in the process of compiling a situational report.

Find below the full FDA statement

SERIOUS ADVERSE REACTION REPORTS, NEW SENCHI HEALTH CENTRE, AKRADE

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has become aware of serious adverse reactions described as injection site abscess, skin necrosis and ulcers leading to the deaths of three (3) patients who had injections of Benzathine Penicillin from the New Senchi Health Centre at Akrade in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern region. These serious adverse reactions were reported during the 3rd week of March 2018.

Preliminary investigations revealed that these reactions may be due to contaminated 0.9% Normal Saline, the solution which was used to reconstitute (mix) the Benzathine Penicillin Powder for Injection. The 0.9% Normal Saline Solution was reported to have been opened and used repeatedly for several days which might have resulted in the contamination.

Benzathine Penicillin is presented as powder for Injection and should be reconstituted with STERILE water for injection and also used immediately to avoid contamination.

The FDA has dispatched the Pharmacovigilance team from the Eastern Regional Office to Akradie to investigate the issue in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Meanwhile, healthcare professionals and consumers are encouraged to be vigilant and report untoward effects of medicines and health products to the FDA by completing adverse reaction reporting forms provided in hospitals and Community Pharmacies designated as Patient Safety Centres across the country or through the contacts below:

HOTLINES – 0299802932, 0299802933,

TOLL FREE NUMBER – 0800151000 (free only on Airtel and Vodafone)

SMS SHORTCODE – 4015

SIGNED

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Contaminated’ drugs possible cause of injection deaths – FDA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“We have a full alert at the port of entry to make sure that those products will not come in. We’ve intensified post-market surveillance throughout the Easter period, we will be going around to check if any has been brought in at all. We will make sure that we collect them all, in what we call a full recall. We will go round all the supermarkets to make sure that there is none,” Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Delese Mimi Darko, told Citi News.

[contextly_sidebar id=”JpEoUyri5Q0kCPLe5bw774do0mtGLzDf”]In the last few weeks since Rwanda’s caution on food imports from South Africa, the FDA has warned Ghanaians against purchasing possibly listeriosis infected processed meat products by Enterprise Foods.

The Authority also announced that it would destroy the meat products from Enterprise Foods in Polokwane, South Africa.

The outbreak of listeriosis has been going on since the start of 2017. According to the World Health Organisation, 978 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases have been reported in South Africa between January 1, 2017, and March 14, 2018. 42% of the cases have been neonates who were infected during pregnancy or delivery.

In January, Rwanda warned Ghana to ban the importation of some food products from South Africa to avert the outbreak of listeriosis. Before the warning, Rwanda had already placed a ban on some food products from South Africa.

After the warning, the Ghana’s Ministry of Health assured Ghanaians that it had beefed up surveillance in the country to forestall the outbreak and spread of the disease.

About Listeriosis

Listeriosis is food poisoning that is caused by eating foods contaminated with the Listeria monocytogenes bacterium. In pregnant women, the infection can result in miscarriage, premature delivery, serious infection of the newborn or even stillbirth.

It mainly affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems.

According to the WHO, the outbreak in South Africa is the largest that has been detected worldwide. Due to the potentially long incubation period (one to three weeks and up to 70 days), further cases are expected before the impact of the recall of the affected food products is observed.

–

By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post FDA intensifies surveillance to stop sale of Listeriosis meat products appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.