Nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital demonstrating
IT isan undeniable fact that good health is crucial for national development considering human factor which is indispensable in every developmental agenda. In fact, nations with good health facilities have chalked successes in all their endeavours, particularly in the area of their economy.
FOR instance, countries like the United States of America (USA,) Britain, Canada, South Africa, among others can boast of robust economy and probably massive infrastructural developments, simply because their human resource capacity is supported by solid health system, making economic growth and development achievable.
IT is against this backdrop that Today finds it necessary to add its voice to the call by the psychiatric nurses in the country for government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to, as a matter of urgency, address concerns of the nurses regarding shortage of drugs for the patients.
THE nurses on Tuesday, May 27th, 2014 embarked on demonstration to press home their grievances, which according to them, is making their work more difficult. Apart from inadequate drugs, the psychiatric nurses also expressed their displeasure about government’s decision to pay only three months of the year’s allowances owed them.
UNFORTUNATELY, successive governments have failed to prioritise our health sector to help solve many medical problems confronting the nation. Most of our leaders seek medical attention abroad at the neglect of the country’s health facilities, hence their deliberate intention to leave the health sector to collapse.
WHAT makes their [psychiatric nurses’] case more serious is the nature of the patients they take care of which demands proper concentration, attention and availability of drugs to ensure calmness and serene environment at all times. Obviously without drugs, it will be difficult for the nurses to calm the patients who most at times become aggressive.
WE all stand the risk of being harmed or maimed by these patients if our health authorities fail to regularly supply them with the needed drugs and other medical supplies. It is important government takes a critical look at the country’s health sector to ensure that people in the country always have good health condition.
TODAY thinks that our health workers must also be properly motivated to help them give off their best. This should include regular payment of their salaries, allowances and other conditions of service to fully get them committed to their job.
IN the past few years, the country has lost prominent citizens including our former President, Professor EvansFiifi Atta Mills, and former Vice-President,Aliu Mahama, to circumstances beyond human comprehension even though death is inevitable. Frankly speaking, some of these deaths like the sudden demise of Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, former Chairman of National Development Planning Commission, could have been avoided if our health facilities were well-resourced.
THIS brings to the fore the need for government to set its priority right by allocating more resources to some critical sectors of the economy like the health sector and also ensure that the living conditions of those who work in such important areas are okay. This, Today believes, will help in our quest to provide equitable development the nation has been clamouring for.