Veterinary Doctor's attack on gov’t unfortunate – Hanna Bisiw

Dr Hanna Bisiw, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Thursday described as unfortunate an attack on government by Dr Robert Asare, a veterinary Doctor in the Assin North district, by resorting to the use of social media, specifically, facebook to malign government under the pretext of fighting for vehicles to fight bird flu.

Dr Asare was the first person Dr Bisiw asked of immediately she took her seat, before addressing a two-day training workshop for Regional and District Veterinary Officers on pathologenic avian influenza.

When the Minister was told that Dr Asare was not present she informed participants that she was going to hold on to what she had to say about him until she had presented her official speech.

Dr Bisiw, at the end of her speech said “it is unfortunate to find veterinary doctors on facebook insulting government and the Ministry that government has failed to provide even a bicycle for surveillance of the disease”.

She said social media was not the place for people like Dr Asare to propagate their dislike for government, adding, “here is doctors who heads a district and says that government has misplaced priority and cannot even provide a bicycle."

She called on her colleagues to use social media positively.

"Public service is a safe haven for some of us if you cannot communicate with your Director don’t communicate on social media," the Minister said, as a response to the remarks by Dr Asare.

Dr Bisiw, who is a veterinary doctor by profession, said, they had a profession to be proud of, and should practice it in accordance with the code of ethics.

"If you don’t like a government, you have an obligation to respect your profession.

She said all attempts to get Dr Asare to stop his behaviour in a reply to his comment on social media failed.

Dr Bisiw, however, told participants that government had released the vehicles, motor bicycles and money for surveillance.

At the end of the her talk, some participants could be heard supporting what the Minister said, and comments from some participants were, yes, the Minister had actually hit the nail right on the head.