Cuban Doctors have not deserted Yendi Hospital

The five Cuban Doctors at the Yendi Government Hospital have gone on their annual leave and not deserted as was being speculated by some residents of the township. A source at the Northern Regional Health Directorate told the Ghana News Agency in Tamale that the doctors were on a short break.

Mr Mohammud Habibu Tijani, Yendi District Chief Executive, had told the Acting Northern Regional Minister, Mr Ernest A. Debrah that the rumours had created panic and fear among government workers, especially teachers and nurses, as well as farmers.

He appealed to heads of decentralised government departments to persuade their workers to stay and work and also encourage all those who had fled the town to return to post since peace had been restored to the area. Mr Tijani said as a result of the absence of the Cuban Doctors the District Director of Health Services Dr Sampson Aning Abankwah had taken up additional responsibility of attending to patients at the hospital.

Mr Tijani was briefing the Mr Debrah on the security situation in Yendi at a District Security Council meeting on Wednesday. Mr Debrah, who was accompanied by members of the Regional Security Committee, was on a familiarisation visit to Yendi to assess the security situation and also to introduce himself to the people.

Mr Tijani said the Regional Health Directorate had decided to rotate doctors at the Tamale Hospital to Yendi to help provide medical services to the people. Mr Tijani announced that inter-religious dialogue initiated by the Catholic Bishop of Yendi, The Most Reverend Vincent Boi-Nai would organise open-prayers for peace and also raise funds to aid the conflict victims.

He called on the press to help restore peace in Dagbon by being circumspect in their reportage. Mr Tijani appealed for tents, campbeds and raincoats for the security personnel at Yendi. Lieutenant Colonel Dela Sakyi, Commander of the Sixth Battalion of Infantry in Tamale, said troops had been deployed at Savelugu, Nanton, Yendi, Gushiegu and Bimbilla to maintain peace.

The Yendi District Director of Education, Mr Mahama Imoro said teachers, who had fled the area in the wake of the conflict had not returned. He appealed to the government to provide security for schools in the district when schools re-open to protect the students.

Mr Debrah said peace was an important ingredient for development and thanked the security agencies for the able manner they had handled the Yendi tragedy. He advised them to work as a team and pledged that the government would do all it could to get to the bottom of the Yendi tragedy and find a lasting solution to the chieftaincy dispute there.

He cautioned members of the District Security Committee and the Security Agencies to avoid making inflammatory statements. The Regional Minister also appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage about the situation in Yendi, saying "any negative report on Yendi could break the people apart and jeopardise the peace in the area." He asked the Yendi District Assembly to ensure that money meant for projects did not go into private pockets.