The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has taken a proactive step to ensure the good health and well-being of its staff before observing Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7, 2024.
In line with its function, which seeks to promote fair, transparent, and accountable democratic processes in Ghana, the Commission organized a free health screening exercise for its employees on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, to ensure that the staff are in good health for the demands in respect of observing the general elections.
The health screening initiative, spearheaded by the Corporate Affairs and Communications Unit, was strategically designed to enhance the effectiveness of the election observation exercise, which often places significant stress on its personnel due to the scope and intensity of the task.
The Commissioner of CHRAJ, Dr. Joseph Whittal while speaking to the Media during the screening, emphasized the role of CHRAJ with regard to monitoring Ghanaian’s right to vote. He disclosed that three hundred (300) trained staff would be deployed across the country to observe the presidential and parliamentary elections to identify and report incidents of human rights violations or abuses during the electioneering process.
The voluntary screening exercise which was held at the forecourt of the Commission’s Head Office was conducted by qualified and experienced personnel from Tobinco Pharmaceuticals, Entrance University Hospitals, and VisionSpring, which covered basic vital checks for malaria, typhoid, blood pressure, glucose levels, hemoglobin (HB), Body Mass Index (BMI), eye screening, ear screening, etc. to identify any health-related conditions and risks which are likely to affect the efficiency of the CHRAJ staff in the entire election observation process.
At the end of the screening, the medical personnel also provided medical advice and medications, including medicated glasses to staff diagnosed with specific health conditions at no cost.
On his part, the representative of the Tobinco Group, Dr. Christopher Mensah, who led the entire medical team, commended CHRAJ for organizing the event, indicating that ensuring the health of staff involved in election monitoring is a critical step toward supporting Ghana’s democratic process. He expressed their pride of being part of such an impactful and innovative initiative.
