‘Speaker’s frequent travels for medical review worrying’ – Annoh-Dompreh

The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has described as worrying the seeming frequent absence of the Speaker of Parliament from the jurisdiction to seek medical attention.

After returning from medical leave on the 23rd of January, the Speaker is scheduled to jet off once again over the weekend for another medical review.

In the Speaker’s absence during the last meeting of Parliament, the split in the numbers in the house degenerated into a physical confrontation in the house.

Speaking to Citi News, Frank Annoh Dompreh indicated that while the Speaker is entitled to the best of medical care, the question of the possibility of getting that within the jurisdiction should not be neglected.

“We have to put our heads together as a people or maybe leadership would have to find a way of helping the Speaker find a solution to this because it is becoming one too many. We also need to give it balance. He is the Speaker, he is taken ill, and he needs treatment. Is it the case that we can get an equally good medical team to have this treatment done here?”

“These are questions we need to ask, vis-à-vis the fact that because of the nature of our Parliament now, one would have thought that we will find an alternative. I am just hoping that we will get to that point and make that conclusion and draw that line that based on the happenings and the matters at stake, we will be happy to have the Speaker sit in the chair. It is something we need to think about but also give a balance.”

This is the third time the Speaker is traveling to Dubai to undergo a medical review; the first was on November 27, 2022, and the second was on January 7, 2022,

During the first medical review, Mr. Bagbin was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Alice Adjua Yornas, Head of Parliamentary clinic, Dr. Prince Kofi Pambo, the Speaker’s Secretary, and his aide.

He embarked on his first medical trip a day after he presided over Parliament’s chaotic developments that saw the Members of the Majority side of Parliament staging walkout during processes to approve the 2022 budget and the House’s subsequent rejection of same.