Parliament reconstitutes ECOWAS membership

Page 12, Nov 5, 2010
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

PARLIAMENT has reconstituted its membership in the ECOWAS Parliament.
The new members of Ghana's delegation are Mr Stephen Yakubu, NPP MP for Binduri, Mr Frederick Opare-Ansah, Minority Chief Whip and NPP MP for Suhum and Mrs Catherine Ablema Afeku, NPP MP for Evalue-Gwira. They replace Mr Stephen Balado-Manu (NPP, Ahafo-Ano South), Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, NPP, Assin North and Mrs Elizabeth Sackey, NPP, Okaikoi North.
Other member of the delegation who retained their membership were Mr Michael Tei-Nyaunu, NDC, Lower Manya, Mr Dominic Azimbe Azumah, NDC, Garu Tempane, Mr Francis Yaw Osei Sarfo, NDC, Krachie West and Mr Alfred Kwame Agbesi, NDC, Ashiaman.
The reconstituted members would project themselves as a non-partisan delegation representing Ghana's Parliament and would submit a report at the end of every session of the ECOWAS Parliament.
Meanwhile, the government is to construct a 100-bed hospital in the Weija Municipality.
This is part of 12 hospitals which had been earmarked for construction with a concessional loan being sought from Opus 7 by the government.
The Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kunbuor, told Parliament yesterday that the construction of the hospital at Weija is part of efforts to restore Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to its original status as a tertiary health provider.
He was answering a question posed by the MP for Weija, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, who wanted to know when a proper Municipal government hospital would be provided for Weija.
Dr Kunbuor also informed the House that a modern claims processing centre had been established to handle National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) claims.
He explained that the centre was currently handling claims from teaching hospitals and regional hospitals adding that at full capacity the centre would be capable to process 15,000 claims per day.
In an answer to a question posed by the MP for Agona East, Mr John Agyabeng, Dr Kunbuor said currently the centre is processing 10,000 calls per day.