Ghanaians must pay critical attention to caregivers in correctional homes - Prof. Opoku-Agyemang

Running mate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called on Ghanaians to pay critical attention to caregivers in various correctional homes.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang explained that caregivers play a vital role in shaping society hence the need for the government and individuals to put a spotlight on them.

She advised that these persons should be given the necessary support frequently, also included in various plans, and not wait for ‘special’ occasions before helping them out.

While donating toiletries, food items, and other consumables to Makers Disabilities Foundation, home of children with cerebral palsy in Accra, Tuesday, October 13, 2020, the NDC running-mate stated that the kind gesture was to “… reach out and I think we all can in our very small ways. That’s why I went to the correctional centre of where little girls who have fallen foul, people were trafficked, you know these are vulnerable people in our society and sometimes, not that we forget them but until it is a year for something or the day for something as if they are not with us. They are with us all the time regardless of whether we are celebrating or remembering them”.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang emphasized that just as there is a school for the deaf and the blind, there should be an institution where caregivers will receive training to help in the management of children with special needs.

She stated that “We have school for the deaf, school for the blind, and I feel with my colleagues that these are not the only disabled people even though we do not have enough support for them. There are autistic children…how should we train the caregivers and if we have the faculty of education, it should go beyond JHS, SHS, and so on. There are people like these, they also matter…”

“It’s mostly the private sector giving autistic children the support. What’s their background, their training, what should the government do? These are not very popular things but they are very necessary things to make everyone feel included in what it is that you are doing,” she added.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang, however, noted that the NDC has a plan for children with special needs as well as the elderly in their manifesto, and should they be voted into power, these groups of people would feel being part of the society than before.

The NDC team, led by the running mate also donated some assorted items to the South Labone Girls Vocational institute Tuesday.