Browsing by Author "Pokuaah, S."
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Item Caregivers of Mentally Ill Patients: A Crosssectional Need-Based Assessment of Social Workers in Post-conflict Somalia(Practice Social Work in Action, 2019-06-03) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Mohamed, A.A.; Jama, O.; Pokuaah, S.; Basiru, I.; Agyei, E.K.; Latif, A.This study seeks to investigate the needs of family caregivers of people living with Mental illness in Somalia. Using an exploratory research design technique, a qualitative approach was employed for a one-on-one interview module to collect data from a total of 51 respondents identified as family caregivers of mentally ill persons undergoing rehabilitation in five (5) selected mental health facilities sampled for the study. In analyzing and interpreting qualitative data, a thematic content analysis was done which revealed that, in addition to medical care, family caregivers need not only social support in a form of affection to assist them in their various engagements, but also, adequate relaxation and leisure to regain lost energies and save them from stress and its harmful ramifications on their health. They also need decent accommodation to maintain their mentally ill relatives. The results further revealed that, caregivers needed financial support as well as emotional support from friends and society in order to psyche them up for their task. To understand the needs of patients’ treatment history and condition, caregivers need information. It is, therefore of necessity to social workers and other stakeholders that the needs of caregivers are adequately and sufficiently addressed.Item A Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study of Barriers to Effective Therapeutic Communication among Nurses and Patients(International Journal of Public Administration, 2020-02-28) Hammond, A.; Arkorful, V.E.; Basiru, I.; Boateng, J.; Doku, F.; Pokuaah, S.; Agyei, E.K.; Baoteng, J.A.; Lugu, B.K.Effective communication between patients and nurses is cardinal to health care The study seeks to explore barriers to effective therapeutic communication between patients and nurses in randomly selected health facilities in the Kumasi metropolis, Ashanti region, Ghana. The study employed an exploratory study to interview 60 respondents comprising 30 nurses and patients each, using an unstructured interview guide. In addition to nurses' and patients'perceived barriers, the study revealed the health environment–related barriers. Patients-related barriers include individual sociodemographic attributes, patient–nurse relationship, erroneous impression, and language barrier. Other identified nurses-related barriers include human resource challenges, patients' distrust in nurses’ competency, interference from patients’ relations, inadequate knowledge, patient’s dissatisfaction with output, patients’ emotional fluctuations. Health environment– related barriers also include excessive workload, unconducive environment, and environmental changes. Given the relevance of therapeutic communication to health service, the study, among other things recommends that efforts be exerted by sector actors to address the challenges and help promote quality in health-care service and delivery.Item Equitable Access and Inclusiveness in Basic Education: Roadblocks to Sustainable Development Goals(International Journal of Public Administration, 2019-06-13) Agyei, E.K.; Arkorful, V.E.; Basiru, I.; Anokye, R.; Latif, A.; Hammond, A.; Pokuaah, S.; Arkorful, E.V.; Abdul-Rahaman, S.For more than half a century, the recognition of education by the international community as a social transformative tool and a fundamental human right has found strong affirmations in conventions, statutes and resolutions. The inception of the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030), as a sequel to the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015) for instance acknowledges education as an indispensable conduit for people to realize their capabilities whiles completing primary school cycle. However, while the international community is yet to realise the potential of education as a catalyst for development, greater inequalities in access to education in the face of heightening social, economic, political and cultural challenges exist for different social classes in different parts of developing countries, precisely Ghana. The paper sought to investigate the challenges to basic education access and inclusiveness in Ghana. The study was conducted in two (2) selected districts each in some six(6)purposefully sampled regions against the backdrop of the 2015 Ghana PovertyMapping Report. Relying on field gathered data, the study data analysis revealed that access to education in the study areas are chiefly poverty induced. It also found out that, the lack of a sustainable education policy and political will, coupled with incessant political interferences in education by governments over the years has been deleterious to education access in Ghana. The study concluded that merit-based poverty considerations, and the introduction of social policy interventions is crucial to increasing access to education. It is therefore pertinent for Government, Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, Corporate bodies and other stakeholders alike to reignite their commitment to ensuring the extensive extension of assistance to the needy, whiles pushing for the implementation of pro-poor policies aimed at increasing access and equity/inclusiveness relative to basic education in Ghana.