Intercropping oil palm with food crops in Ghana: 1. Effect on nutrient dynamics, soil moisture retention and light interception

Nutrient dynamics, soil moisture retention, and light interception by oil palm in different cropping systems were examined in an oil palm-food crop intercropping trial at the Oil Palm Research Institute, Kusi, in Ghana between 1999 and 2002. There were four treatments consisting of a sole oil palm with pueraria cover crop, and three oil palm-food intercrops: oil palm + maize + cassava; oil palm + maize + plantain; and oil palm + maize + maize. The treatments were arranged in a randomised complete block design with four replicates. Generally, oil palm + maize + maize and oil palm with pueraria cover crop seemed to have favoured higher soil moisture retention, nutrient uptake and accumulation, and light interception by the oil palm than what pertained with oil palm + maize + cassava and oil palm + maize + plantain treatments. Oil palm with maize planted in the major and minor seasons seems to be a better intercropping option to be recommended to farmers because the food crop does not affect the growth of the oil palm during the establishment phase, and could also provide revenue to defray part of the substantial capital outlay required for establishing oil palm plantati

Speaking-up for patient safety: A scoping narrative review of international literature and lessons for radiography in Ghana and other resource-constrained settings

Objectives Employees ‘speaking-up’, or raising concerns about unsafe practices, has gained traction across healthcare, however, the topic has not been widely discussed within radiography generally or within resource-constrained healthcare settings. A systematic scoping narrative review identified the experiences of radiographers in speaking-up about safety concerns, which was extended to healthcare professionals more broadly. The scope of the review was further extended to cover speaking-up in non-healthcare resource-constrained settings in Africa. Key findings Sixty-three studies were included in the review. The majority originated from westernised and/or higher resource health systems, with a dearth of literature from Africa and other resource-constrained settings. Several studies identified barriers and enablers confronting healthcare workers wishing to speak-up. While ‘speaking-up’ as a concept has gained international interest, most studies are, however, focussed on nursing and medical practice contexts, overlooking other healthcare professions, including radiography. The findings are synthesised into a series of key lessons for healthcare and radiography practitioners in Ghana and other resource-constrained settings. Conclusion The topic has been largely overlooked by policy makers, both within healthcare generally and specifically within radiography in Ghana. This is particularly concerning given the many complexities and risks inherent to radiography. A radiography and a healthcare workforce lacking in voice is poorly positioned to improve workers' safety and patient safety. More generally, promoting speaking up could enhance Ghana's ambitions to deliver a high-quality health care system and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the future. Implications for practice National and regional policy makers need to implement speaking-up processes and procedures reflecting the lessons of the literature review, such as ensuring no detriment as result of speaking-up and making staff feel that their concerns are not futile. Speaking-up processes should be implemented by individual organisations, alongside staff training and monitoring