Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey, has entreated the House to consider constructing a health facility purposely for legislators.
Mr Quartey made the “discriminatory” appeal when Parliament on Friday, March 31, 2023, paid tribute to the late MP for Kumawu, Philip Atta Basoah, who passed away on March 28, 2023.
According to him, the unexpected passing of Philip Atta Basoah has dawned on him that there is “pressure and stress” on Members of Parliament in the plenary, hence the need to cater for legislators.
“Mr Speaker, I sought Honourable Basoah a day before he passed. I was sitting by him when he had his usual kenkey. Little did I know that the following morning, he would be gone.”
“We have come too far as Parliamentarians not to have a hospital of our own. Maybe the time has come for Parliament as a whole to have a hospital built purposely for Members of Parliament. I know that may sound a bit discriminatory but it will be appropriate to have that. It would be for clerks too,” Mr Henry Quartey said.
Mr Quartey who doubles as the Greater Accra Minister also cited the death of Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko, MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon, as a second reason for his request.
Mr Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko died on Wednesday, November 21, 2018, in the United States of America after a long illness.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has called on the House to provide annual medical reviews for legislators.
“The work is sidentry, it is about 95 per cent sitting down and we sit for very long hours. So instead of asking members to produce their annual medical records when we are freshly elected, I want to suggest that now we have an annual medical review. So you are not medically reviewed every four years, like Parliament does,” he said.
Source: The Independent Ghana