The Member of Parliament for Sissala West, Mohammed Sukparu, has raised concerns over the severe stress and health risks lawmakers face in the course of their duties.
According to him, about 70 to 80 percent of his colleagues in Parliament, both young and old, are suffering from high blood pressure due to the heavy pressure that comes with their work and constituents.
Speaking on Accra-based Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, July 8, Mr Sukparu pointed to the frequent sudden deaths of MPs, including Ernest Yaw Kumi, the late MP for Akwatia, who died on Monday after a short illness.
“If you see that Chamber, I can tell you that more than 70 to 80 percent of the parliamentarians are BP patients, including the young ones,” he said.
The MP criticized the current medical system for parliamentarians, highlighting bureaucratic hurdles in seeking healthcare and the financial strain it places on them.
“As I sit here, if I am sick, I’m supposed to treat myself first, and later a committee must sit to validate my receipts and authenticate them. If you have to be referred to a certain medical facility, and it’s not approved by the committee, you won’t get a refund.
“All of these things require a conversation. What if, at the time I’m sick, I don’t have the financial muscle to cater for it? What happens to me?” he asked.
