The Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan, Professor Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah, has drawn the attention of the leadership of Parliament to the apparent lack of emergency medical services within the precinct.
Delivering an address on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, she advocated for the need for Parliament to urgently address the issue before it is too late.
Professor Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah stated that medical services, such as the installation of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and the training of parliamentary staff in emergency response, must be done quickly to safeguard and guarantee the health of MPs and staff.
“Mr. Speaker, since I came into Parliament a couple of weeks ago, I’ve gone around the entire premises, and I don’t see any emergency kits or any emergency services provided for us parliamentarians. I don’t see any AEDs in the bathrooms or hallways.
“The other day, we also saw how the former President’s ADC, who fainted in the chamber, was actually carted away. It was not per standard of care,” she added.
Professor Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah also pressed home the need for Parliament to establish a committee that will ensure that emergency health protocols and equipment are instituted in and around the house.
“Mr. Speaker, as a trauma surgeon myself, I would like to propose that, maybe with your indulgence, we have a committee that might even have an emergency services team so that we can walk the premises and see how best we can help ourselves in the room,” she suggested.
“We also have a stroke care training program. Maybe we offer some of these classes to our parliamentarians, and not just only parliamentarians but the staff, as well as perhaps our drivers and house helps, so that in case one of us is in trouble, at least there is someone who can perform first aid,” she explained.
“Should any one of us in this room have an emergency situation, I think that we probably may not make it to the nearest hospital. So we really need to look at that for us in this chamber and all of us in this Parliament,” she cautioned.
Thank you, Mr Speaker, for this opportunity.
Grateful to you all for your kind words and good wishes.Parliament?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#The9thParliament#EKCMP#AdomMmbr3Aso pic.twitter.com/qoywTUAIOk
— Prof. Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah (@ProfDrGADanquah) January 31, 2025
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