Rejoinder: “No Doctors In Upper West; Dr. Sebastian Sandaari Has Taken The Wrong Decision To Go Into Politics”

My attention has been drawn to a story that was published by upperwestmedia.net, with the conclusive heading above. I have carefully read the piece as referenced below and can state without any equivocation that it is malicious and mischievous piece sponsored possibly by a faceless detractor.

No Doctors in Upper West: Dr. Sebastian Sandaari has taken the wrong decision to go into politics https://upperwestmedia.net/2018/08/12/no-doctors-in-upper-west-dr-sebastian-sandaari-has-taken-the-wrong-decision-to-go-into-politics/

I am very much disappointed in the writer of this poorly researched piece which seeks to bastardize the decision of Hon Sandaari “calling” to parliament to salvage the age long plight of his people; Daffiama- Bussie -Issa Constituency. Let me take you through why the piece is virtually empty of logic and common sense.

It is indisputable that the current doctor to patient ratio is about 1:1400 with an astronomical increase in the National Health Insurance Scheme as the writer cunningly quoted in the piece. However, what left the writer and his worked conspicuously exposed is the fact that, he failed to look at what has contributed to this sad situation.

A little research would have helped this faceless, mischievous writer to appreciate the following;

1. The Region has not done much in sponsoring their own to study medicine. How many students from the Upper West Region are being sponsored to read medicine and related courses?

2. Many medical doctors refuse being posted to the upper west Region. Does this not require a holistic research than this propagandist piece?

3. The few medical doctors who come from the upper west Region prefer other Region to ours. It is the likes of Hon Sebastian Sandaare who as a results of the love and compassion for his people, sacrificed to work with juicy conditions of service just to help his home Region. This was just his decision.

4. That the decision of Hon Sebastian Sandaare to serve in a different capacity as a citizen could not have caused this humongous doctor deficit in the Region and Ghana at large.

5. Our Health sector requires pragmatic policies that can help solve health delivery predicaments. Such policy making requires expects in the area. What is wrong for Hon Sebastian Sandaare whom you alluded to as a “gem” in the area of health to contribute in that regard? The expertise of Hon. Sandaare is not left to waste. He is currently a member of the health Committee contributing in diverse ways to quality health delivery.

6. If Hon. Sandaare says he is a better medical doctor in parliament, you must understand it or make effort to appreciate the statement under context. We do appreciate text in context and not just in a vacuum.

Hon. Sandaare in his capacity as a law-maker is sponsoring many students at various levels of Education, some of who may become medical doctors and other professionals. He has used his influence to bring medical assistants to his constituency, which hitherto had none. He has also succeeded and making arrangement to bring a medical doctor to his constituency. If everybody were contributing in this manner, I’m sure we would have had surplus health personnel.

7. The current minister of Education, Hon. Mathew Opoku Prempeh is a medical doctor who is currently playing different roles for mother Ghana. It would be too pedestrian to think that by virtue of somebody’s profession and where he comes from, he should not help in national law making.

8. We must be calling on stakeholders and at large, government to help us solve the deficiencies in our health sector than seeking to indict a proud son who has served his Region and continue to serve in a different capacity, wholeheartedly. Such blame games and shallow analysis may only be borne out of personal hatred, ignorance or a certain agenda by some desperate individual(s) to parochially benefit from a long age problem that existed far before Hon Sandaare became a medical doctor.

Let me conclude by stating that Hon Sebastian Sandaare won’t be detracted by such malice. He is concentrating and working very seriously to ensure that his constituents have quality health delivery, quality and accessible education and the general development of Daffiama-Bussie-Issa Constituency. His political decisions are not parochially motivated but create many opportunities for current and upcoming generations. It is not a personal glory but an opportunity to help many more to reach and perhaps, go beyond where he has reached.

Let me use this opportunity to urge all constituents and the Upper West Region at large to ignore and treat such shallow pieces with pinch of salt.