5 Stories About NAHSAG AT 10 You May Never Have Known

All throughout the just-ended anniversary celebration at University of Ghana, the NAHSAG Gossip bird had been out and about in search of inside news, scoop and all the gossips you never may have heard of. The bird has brought home five hot, sizzling, buzzing stories for your ears only.

If you promise not to tell anyone where you heard it from, here you are…

Face of NAHSAG: Top 3 Most Creative Contestants

Three prominent disciplines featured the just ended FACE OF NAHSAG Pageant. There was the Project Presentation, the Questions Session, and Talent Hunt that kept us on the edge of our seats all night long.

All seven contestants justified their inclusion, proving that they could pull amazing stunts to impress onlookers. Out of the seven, here are three people whose performance thrilled us the more and stole the Talent Hunt segment of the show.

3. Gloria Agyei

Campus Pageant Winner for Kintampo College of Health will be ranked third on this opinion poll for her entertaining and thought-provoking drama. Her act portrayed the effect of the belief system on health.

She excited the audience with her energizing display of how false prophets dupe people for money, in their quest for solutions to their problems. Gloria fused the display with humor that kept the audience yearning for more.

2. Wendy Amoako Konadu

We experienced hyperpyrexia from a scintillating dance performance of the Talent Hunt. Maybe that's what they call it 'Dance Fever'. Apparent winner of the pageant gave us just that.

It was a transitional dance that drove us back into time. Wendy thrilled the audience with a mixture of varying dances with different genres of Ghana music.

1. Monica Nunoo 

Define 'Talented Acting' and contestant number 3 will pop-up. She was erudite!

She portrayed the unhealthy attitude of some nurses towards patients, with so much precision that she has earned the most talented pageant contestant without doubts.

In her performance, she abuses a Senior Nursing Officer who had disguised herself as a patient. The aftermath was a combination of humor and morale.

By Patrick Fynn | NAHSAG

Feature: Is Republican Ghana Healthy Enough?

It has been 55 years now since Ghana’s attainment of Republican status in July 1, 1960 which made the country a sovereign nation capable of governing itself. Yes! Dr. Kwame Nkrumah stated that in his Independence day speech, "new Africa is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all the black man is capable of managing his own affairs".

How have we been able to prove that point? Maybe "good" or possibly "not bad" could do as the answer to that question simply because as a nation, when better and best are available, good is not an option.

According to the WHO's definition, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Ghana is as healthy as the individuals in it, the citizenry, the stakeholders.

We are in a country where most people think that someone somewhere is responsible for making this nation and his/her home a better place. We are in a country where virtually no one can boost that the bank of justice isn't bankrupt; where throughout each sector, there is abetting or direct perpetuation of acts of bribery and corruption. A state where inwardly, there is a massive decline in morality but seen externally to be attribute of all persons. A state where helping one another to climb the ladder and to sustain a living is a vice rather than a virtue. 

We are in present day a country with individuals most of which Charlie Chaplin would describe as "think too much and feel little, love cleverness than kindness and gentleness; and have lost the way of life with greed poisoning the souls of many".

In a country that can metaphorically be described as vast ocean of material prosperity, many find it difficult to obtain their basic needs and live on a lonely Island of poverty.

It is left for you to decide whether Ghana is healthy or not.

As 900 prisoners are granted amnesty to mark this republic day, each citizen need to grant him/herself amnesty for most of our behaviors and thinking pattern because they imprison us, make us incapable of contributing to neighbour and national development, and retards all efforts to growth and  nation building.

Right from the least to the highest person,  Ghanaians need to be disciplined and selflessly dedicated to their responsibilities and leadership roles, and strive to leave a legacy wherever they find themselves. We should let peace, hardwork and honestly be our hallmarks and desist from all attributes that mar a society and a nation. Constructive criticism is what is needed in this country with possible solutions not any other kind of arguments that just create disagreement and confusion in our various platforms, homes, workplaces and in the nation at large.

Napoleon Hill has it that, "there is one weakness in people for which there is no remedy. It is the universal weakness of lack of ambition."  Each stakeholder need to set a target towards this nation's development in any way, and work towards that so as to attain that desired inward joy and happiness of any successful individual.

Similarly, as His Excellency Dr. Kwame Nkrumah added in his independence day speech, "let us all remember that nothing can be done unless it has the purport and support of God". Ghanaians ought to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in all affairs especially in this present world where practices and activities hitherto considered unacceptable and not of human standard are being publicly and nationally declared as legal and a norm.

May we all embrace the words in the national anthem and proceed in truth and integrity to make our nation proud at least in our generation and those yet to come.

Long Live Ghanaians!

Long Live our Nation!!

Long Live Ghana!!!

SAMPSON KAFUI DJONOR

kadjnrsampson@gmail.com

0541 437 234

Promoting Healthy Living as a Nation; the Role of Stakeholders

Theme for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of NAHSAG is Promoting Healthy Living as a Nation; the Role of Stakeholders. In an exposition of the subject, Wisdom K. Axame writes:

Our health is by far the most important thing to us. It does not matter whether we are rich or poor, good health is vital to make every individual’s life happy. Health cuts across many facets of life and is even evident in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of it as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.  Per the WHO definition, health is an ideal state as we all ought to be healthy physically, mentally and socially which seems very difficult to attain. That notwithstanding, as human as we are, we all strive to get to this ideal state in order to be healthy.

Getting to this ideal state of health can only be achieved through healthy living and healthy lifestyles. One may ask what healthy living is; simply put, healthy living means the steps, actions and strategies an individual puts in place in order to achieve optimum health. In a broader sense, it is about taking responsibility and making smart health choices for today and for the future. Getting physically fit, eating right, emotional wellness, spiritual wellness and prevention are all a part of creating a healthy lifestyle.

Promoting a healthier living is not one man’s business. It calls for collaboration and coordination between relevant stakeholders. Stakeholders in health are persons or institutions that directly or indirectly affect the operation of the healthcare industry. They include clients, healthcare providers, the government and the student. These various stakeholders contribute in their respective jurisdictions to the promotion of healthy living.

Clients:

Clients are by far the largest group among the stakeholders in the promotion of a healthier life. This is because in one way or the other, other stakeholders may become clients when there is the need to access health services. Clients are usually affected either positively or negatively by the actions of other stakeholders. With respect to the promotion of a healthier living, it is the role of the client to patronise and adhere to the services of the other stakeholders. Aside this, clients need to take their health into their own hands by adopting health promotion lifestyles. Promotion of one’s health is an effective way of healthy living as each individual’s actions towards their health will affect them positively or negatively.

Healthcare Providers:

Healthcare providers are public entities or private organizations that render health services to the general population. Their services are either curative or preventive. The curative services of healthcare providers are aimed at treatment and rehabilitation of sick individuals while the preventive services mainly come in the form of health education. Healthcare providers play a vital role in the promotion of healthy lifestyles as they provide opportunities for people to be healthy aside what individuals do themselves to remain healthy.

Government:

Government is considered a key shareholder in the healthcare industry. Governmental departments such as the ministries of health, food and agriculture, education and finance are some facets of government that have a role to play in promoting a healthier living. Government influences the health of its people by formulating and implementing health policies aimed at improving the health of individuals. In addition, government controls health cost in order for health services to be affordable to the average individual. Furthermore, in promoting a healthier living, government also trains and motivates health professionals who are the preachers of healthy living. These are just a few of government’s role in promoting healthy living.

Student:

Yes, the student is also a stakeholder in promoting healthy living. Just as all other all stakeholders can be clients, so the student can also fall under any of the stakeholders. Students, in this case health students, are agents of change undergoing grooming from various institutions. The formation of student associations such as the National Health Students’ Association of Ghana (NAHSAG) is living proof of how students can contribute in promoting healthy living. Students groups like NAHSAG provide platforms for students to give advocacy on health issues which goes a long way to educate the general public on pertinent health issues.

It is thus prudent to involve all relevant stakeholders in the protection, promotion and the maintenance of the health of the population.

Credit: Wisdom K. Axame

1st Vice President, NAHSAG

axman34@outlook.com