The fire service had been called to attend to the fire, and it took them about 30 minutes to get to the scene, but bystanders tried their best to keep the fire from spreading until fire service personnel arrived.

The fire, which started around 9:00 am on Monday, is the second fire incident at the facility in the last two months, according to a journalist in Walewale, Yussifu Mashoud.

Yussifu Mashoud noted to Citi News that, when the fire started, “fortunately there were a lot of women at the health insurance office, which is close by [to the pharmacy unit], and they supported by getting enough water, and the men also came together to see how best they could deal with the fire.”

Whilst that fire was happening, the bystanders were trying their “possible best to get in touch with the fire service so that they could get to solve the problem,” he said.

The fire service later came in and ensured that “other parts of the building that were not touched [by the fire] were cooled down and some items were brought out of the pharmacy unit.”

The fire service and the team from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), are currently at the scene trying to ascertain the cause of the fire.

After people around the scene had decried the fire service’s late response time, the personnel noted that, they had used three minutes to get to scene, and that the call that was placed was on the 192 which goes to the headquarters.

According to them, the call that was placed to them was via the 192 emergency number, which goes to their headquarters in Tamale before alerting them in Walewale.

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

The post Fire guts Walewale District Hospital pharmacy appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the District Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Abdulai Abukari, the NHIA has since December 2015 failed to reimburse the hospital’s claims.

“From December 2015 up till date all the services that we have been rendering we have just been rendering without claims. So it is a challenge for us because we are unable to buy the needed consumables for service delivery.”

He raised the alarm on the sidelines at the official handing over of a brand new ambulance to the Walewale district hospital.

The Member of Parliament for Walewale constituency, Dr. Sagre Bambangi donated the ambulance valued Ghc90, 000.

The donation was in response to a request from the district health directorate for assistance.

Dr. Abdulai Abukari commended the Walewale MP for his kind gesture.

He re-echoed the need for the NHIA to immediately reimburse the hospital to avoid any possible return to the “Cash and Carry system.”

According to him, the hospital’s suppliers of consumables have withdrawn their services.

“These days the suppliers are also aware of the NHIS situation so when you go they say either you bring money and pick it or even if they are to sell something that is to cost like Ghc10.00 they will be pricing around Ghc50.00-Ghc60.00 because you can’t tell them when you are likely to pay.”

Dr. Abdulai Abukari further called for enough logistics to enable management of the Walewale district hospital improve their efficiency.

The Walewale MP, Dr. Sagre Bambangi said quality health service delivery remained his topmost priority on his transformational agenda.

He promised to address some of the hospital’s myriad challenges.

Dr. Bambangi called for peaceful co-existence to move the area forward in the right direction.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NHIA debt could collapse Walewale hospital – Health Service appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It is unclear yet whether Mr Akwasi Oppong-Fosu  was relieved of his post because of the  current waste management crisis in the country.

The Local Government and Rural Development Ministry has also been in the news for awarding a contract under the National Street Naming project to an I.T firm, Subah Infosolutions.

Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Antwi Boasiako-Sekyere has been nominated to replace Julius Debrah in the Eastern Region.

A statement from the Flagstaff House stated that former Deputy Chief of Staff, Alex Segbefia has also been nominated as a Deputy Minister for Defence.

The President has also reassigned the following to new portfolios:

Yaw Effah Baafi, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources is now Deputy Minister for Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs. Alhaji Salifu Osman, Chief Director at the Ministry of the Interior, as Deputy National Security Coordinator.

Emmanuel Tanga, Tema Regional Director of the BNI, has also been appointed Deputy Director of the Bureau of National Investigations and Dr. John Kofi Baffoe, an Economist with the African Development Bank, has been appointed Technical Adviser to the Minister for Finance.

Dr. Baffoe has over thirty years of experience at the most senior levels in Macro and Development Economics.

President John Mahama’s appointments is in accordance with Article 79(1) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post President Mahama sacks Local Gov’t minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.