A Comparative Study of the Impact of the Ghanaian Public Procurement Processes before and after the Enactment in 2003- A Case Study of Accra Polytechnic

In Ghana, a Public Procurement law was passed in 2003 as the Public Procurement Act 663. The enactment of the Public Procurement law was to ensure that Ghana’s public procurement practices were harmonized and streamlined to conform to International procurement best practices and standards. This study is a comparative analysis of the impact the Public Procurement practices before and after the enactment of the Public Procurement Act, Act 663 of 2003. More specifically, it seeks to analyze the extent to which the introduction of the Public Procurement law widened the competitiveness and transparency element of the public procurement process. A case study approach was adopted and Accra Polytechnic was used as the research unit. The researchers used questionnaires and interview schedule to gather data. The departments involved were the procurement unit, finance, internal audit, development, stores and estates. The findings revealed the impact from a broader public sector management perspective and also exhaustively focused narrowly and specifically on the impact of the Act on Accra Polytechnic procurement practices. The findings also indicated that prior to the enactment of the Public Procurement Law the procurement process was often shrouded in secrecy, lack of transparency, thereby limiting the competitive space. However, with the enactment of the Act and the subsequent creation of the regulatory body, Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to oversee and superintend over public sector procurement, there has been an improvement and enhancement of procurement entities responsiveness and competitiveness. Key words: Competitiveness, transparency, value for mone

E-Procurement as an Alternate Paradigm to the Challenges of Procuring Goods and Services in the Public Sector - A Case Study of Ghana Cocoa Board

The main purpose of the research was to identify challenges that procurement officers encounter in their day to day activities of procuring goods and services for their organization. Ghana Cocoa Board was used as a case study and an extensive study conducted on e-procurement to assess if it would serve as a better alternative to the manual way of procuring items and services in public institutions. Scholarly articles were reviewed to provide an empirical insight into the impact of using e-procurement in institutions. Questionnaires and interviews were used to assess the views of the respondents. Upon collecting the data and analyzing the results, the findings of the study revealed that procurement officers were faced with challenges such as long lead-times in the procurement of goods and services, delay in the execution of task and lack of transparency in the procurement process. Also the procurement officers and the staff members interviewed were of the view that e-procurement would be better alternative to the manual procedure used for procuring goods and services. The researchers recommended that the Ghana Public Procurement Authority (PPA) should adopt pragmatic steps towards educating procurement officers on the value of e-procurement and subsequently (the PPA) should consider encouraging all procurement entities to adopt e-procurement for the purchasing of goods rather than the manual method of procurement. Keywords: e-Procurement, Transparency, Public Procurement Authority (PPA)

Factors Influencing Sign Language Interpretation Service in Ghana: The Interpreters’ Perspective

This study aimed to provide insights into factors influencing sign language interpretation services in Ghana. Participants for the study were purposively selected and interviewed based on the principle of saturation. In all, 14 participants were involved in the study. These participants were selected using GNAD’s Sign Language Interpreters Directory. An inductive approach was used to analyze the obtained data thematically. The study established that despite having self-acclaimed sign language interpreters in Ghana, none had received a formal qualification in sign language interpretation. However, all participants were in their pursuit of obtaining a diploma in Ghanaian Sign Language Interpretation. Other factors, such as misunderstanding the role of sign language interpreters among individuals who organize public events, were barriers to sign language interpreters. Misconceptions about the role of sign language interpreters by the deaf and weak interpreters’ association, which interpreters feel deny them legal protection, were found to be affecting sign language interpreting services in Ghana. To succeed, there should be a vibrant sign language interpreter association. Universities should consider running programs on sign language interpretation. Education targeting individuals who organize public events and deaf people is highly recommended

Gonococcal sepsis in a 32-year-old female: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative bacterium which affects the urethra, throat, rectum and cervix of patients and often associated with sexually transmitted infections. The global epidemiology of the disease is not well characterised especially in resource constraint countries due to poor diagnostic capacity and inefficient reporting systems. Although important, little is known about the propensity of this bacterium to cause sepsis in immunocompetent individuals. CASE PRESENTATION: A 32-year-old female presented with fever and generalised malaise to a rural hospital in Ghana. The patient had previously been diagnosed as having enteric fever from a neighbouring health facility. Blood and urine samples were collected from the patient and cultured using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from the blood which was resistant to penicillin, ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole. The patient recovered following ceftriaxone and azithromycin treatment. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of N. gonorrhoeae in causing sepsis and emphasises the need for blood culture investigation in diagnosis of patients presenting with fever

Gonococcal sepsis in a 32-year-old female: a case report

Abstract Background Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a Gram-negative bacterium which affects the urethra, throat, rectum and cervix of patients and often associated with sexually transmitted infections. The global epidemiology of the disease is not well characterised especially in resource constraint countries due to poor diagnostic capacity and inefficient reporting systems. Although important, little is known about the propensity of this bacterium to cause sepsis in immunocompetent individuals. Case presentation A 32-year-old female presented with fever and generalised malaise to a rural hospital in Ghana. The patient had previously been diagnosed as having enteric fever from a neighbouring health facility. Blood and urine samples were collected from the patient and cultured using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was isolated from the blood which was resistant to penicillin, ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole. The patient recovered following ceftriaxone and azithromycin treatment. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of N. gonorrhoeae in causing sepsis and emphasises the need for blood culture investigation in diagnosis of patients presenting with fever