Ghanaians, Remain Disclipined on our Roads!

I have deliberately used this picture both here and on my sister blog on this link here: http://ekbensahinghana.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-i-told-daily-graphic-about.html. This is because for the past few days, there have been too many road crashes and attendant deaths that are totally unnecessary. My fellow citizens often fail to adhere to road safety rules--especially the commercial drivers -- who are too quick anad too keen to make as much sales as possible in a day they flout all kinds of road laws for the bottom line.

Simply put: KEEP SAFE! DRIVE SAFELY!

Danpong Clinic -- A Testament of Ghana Sweat, Blood and Tears in Ghana's Health Industry

Danpong Clinic is located on the infamous Spintex Road, and actually closer to Batsonaa.

It may not have a dedicated website for the clinic, but has one for detailing its parent group -- DANADAMS, which website can be found here: http://www.danadamsgh.com/?root=profile/

The interesting thing here is that DANADAMS in wholly Ghanaian. Here is what the corporate profile says on its website:

"Danadams Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited is a wholly-Ghanaian owned limited liability company incorporated in Ghana. Danadams was commissioned on 8th June, 2005 by His Excellency J.A. Kufour, with staff strength of fifty-two(52), which has now grown to over 200 employees.

The company is focusing on economically targeted areas in the pharmaceutical industry, which have much social implications in the country. Our core business is the production of Antiretroviral, Antimalarials, Anti-Tuberculosis and other quality generic pharmaceuticals used to fight opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients.

Danadams seeks to address the problem of scarcity of Anti-retroviral drugs in Ghana and the rest of West Africa, by increasing its production of quality generic Antiretroviral drugs locally. Danadams Pharmaceuticals Industry Limited is among other West African Pharmaceutical companies selected to collectively act as catalysts to spearhead the building of the local capacity for production and distribution of Antiretroviral drugs and working in partnership with governmental initiatives like the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Economic Regional Bodies such as West African Health Organization (WAHO) under ECOWAS, and international Organizations like United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and World Health Organization. (WHO)"

At a time when the WIKILEAKs cables reveal our Ghanaian elites and policymakers to be grossly out of touch with the Ghanaian, it bears reminding that things do and can work in Ghana, and for those that do work, they need encouragement to do better!!

Sneda or Melcom? CHINA** & INDIA's contribution to Ghana, or a Tale of How Ghanaians Love to Shop!

To the left is Sneda shopping centre; to the right is Melcom. Both are perhaps a by-word for retail shopping in Ghana. That they have been around for many years only adds up to the credibility they have built in Ghana as one place "to-shop".

Sneda's website is a non-starter; it's just a page, which you can find here: http://www.localyte.com/attraction/20656--sneda-shopping-centre--Ghana--Greater%2BAccra--Accra. Conversely, Melcom's site promises to be big, but has not gone to be big yet. Here is the link: http://www.melcomgroup.com/melcom/html/index.html

These stores can be found all over the country, but, interestingly, never have I found the  two so closely to each other. Sneda came first, but probably did not anticipate MELCOM's. Still the famed Spintex Road, from where I took this picture, offers significant potential for custom.

Four months after I took this picture, you should come and take a look at how they both have changed: SNEDA now has a clean, beige, minimalist look and feel at its entrance, whereas MELCOM is offering more competition by adding "MELCOM PLUS" to its regular store.

If you're ever in Ghana, or the capital--Accra--pass by and compare prices. If you don't like the quality, you know what you can do, don't you? Blog about it!!

Make your weekend nice and safe!

**correction: SNEDA is, in fact, Chinese. A facebook friend pointed it out to me. Don't get me started on the BRICs!;-)

The (Mobile Phone) Cameras behind AccraDailyPhoto.Com

Yesterday was a holiday in Ghana to celebrate the end of fasting of Moslems.

I thought I would follow suit and add a "light" post today by pointing you to one of the cameras that has brought me great pictures over the past couple of posts.

Since I created this blog in 2006, I have gone through a Canon, Polaroid and, now, Kodak camera.

All the while, though, I have interspersed it with my mobile phone camera, with the latest being the trusted NOKIA E63. While the shots could be a bit sharper, I want to today thank Nokia for creating such a snazzy phone that makes pictures that much different from a classic stand-alone camera of 10/12/14 megapixels!;-)