Bolgatanga (U/E), May 22, GNA - Mr James Tobiga Naabil, the Builsa South District Director of Health Services in the Upper East Region, has called on nurses and midwives to collaborate with other stakeholders in the effort to end illegal mining activities in the country.
We must not allow the well-being of a few Ghanaians to destroy our environment, Mr Naabil said.
He said the fight against illegal mining was a struggle for the nation’s soul and urged the personnel to support government’s approach to address the menace.
Mr Naabil was speaking during the launch of this year’s International Nurses’ Day Celebration.
The event was held under the theme: “Health Implications of ‘Galamsey’ and the Attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals; Nurses and Midwives Acting in One Voice with Stakeholders”.
The Director said the menace posed a serious threat to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as goals 6, 11 and 13 focused on clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action respectively.
“How can these goals be attained by 2030 if the wanton destruction of the environment is allowed to continue,” he said.
Mr Naabil expressed worry that efforts made by successive authorities has not led to the expected results as the menace continues to plague many communities saying “the time has come for a decisive action to be taken by all to confront the concern.”
He called on government, non-governmental organisations, civil society, traditional authorities and well-meaning Ghanaians to move away from the rhetoric and take more decisive actions to stem the existing concern.
He said nurses and midwives had a responsibility to educate the public on the potential fatal effects of illegal mining saying “the fight against galamsey is a fight for our survival and nobody should sit on the fence”.
Mr Naabil said mercury, which is a heavy metal, was one of the chemicals used by the illegal miners in their activities, and this could have a dire effect on the health of humans as its wrong usage could lead to the breakdown of the central nervous system of an individual.
Mr Thomas Lambon, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), urged all caregivers to be guided by the passion, dedication, commitment and devotion to duty as exhibited by Florence Nightingale, the mother of nursing.
He said the Association was working tirelessly with government to address their conditions of service concerns.
GNA
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