๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
I have noted the concerns raised regarding my comments on security and healthcare in Parliament during the inauguration of the 9th Parliamentary Service Board.
Unfortunately, much of the media coverage on my comments has been misleading, creating gross misconceptions about my position. The discussion was centered on broader institutional needs, yet selective reporting has misrepresented the intent behind my remarks. For clarity, my remarks were in response to issues first raised by The Speaker, and were only re-echoing the vision of The Speaker for Parliament.
The Speaker bemoaned the state of insecurity in Parliament, highlighting the vulnerability of MPs and Parliamentary Service staff to potential threats. In response, I suggested that if enhancing security within the current chamber is not feasible, we may have to consider a new chamber with the necessary security features to ensure a safer working environment.
On healthcare, the Speaker also raised concerns about medical care for MPs and Parliamentary Service staff. While Parliament currently has a clinic, I suggested that it could be upgraded into a Parliamentary Hospitalโsimilar to the 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, Bank of Ghana Hospital, Cocoa Clinic and SSNIT Hospital. Such a facility would not only serve MPs and Parliamentary staff but also retired officers, retired MPs, and, where applicable, the general public. Although these hospitals by some State Agencies are dedicated to their staff, they are equally open to the general public.
Parliament, as an arm of Government, operates under intense schedules, and its members, staff, and security personnel often require urgent, specialised and private medical attention while on duty. Establishing a well-equipped medical facility within Parliament is a standard practice in many democratic nations, ensuring that those who serve the country can access prompt, confidential, and cost-effective healthcare when needed.
I also raised the issue of confidentialityโwhere, oftentimes, Parliamentary Service staff, former MPs, and current MPs are unable to patronise other public health facilities due to the confidential and sensitive nature of their health concerns.
This proposal should, therefore, not be misinterpreted as a call for special privileges, but rather as a functional necessity, just as other critical institutionsโsuch as the military, police SSNIT, COCOBOD and Bank of Ghanaโhave their own dedicated medical facilities.
That said, I welcome further engagements on the matter.
