The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin has urged MPs to take their health seriously.
According to the Speaker, the proceedings of the House each day is tiring and stressful, thus advising the MPs to avoid long sitting and seek medical reviews.
“We should try to reduce the stress that we go through when we try to represent our people. I don’t need to emphasize the need for us to do continuous medical checks and I don’t need to remind us that the rule is that we should not sit at one place for more than two hours,” he said in Parliament on Tuesday.
Mr Bagbin’s comments come after the demise of the Kumawu MP, Philip Basoah who was confirmed dead in the early hours of Tuesday, March 28 according to a family source.
He died at the age of 53 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
Commenting on the demise of the Kumawu MP, Mr Bagbin said that Mr Basoah was very healthy and took part in the proceedings of the House before he died.
“He came to the House and he was strong, a least he was ready to come in to vote and whiles we were haggling, he just collapsed. And here we are now.”
To this end, the Speaker cautioned the MPs to take good care of their health and said that the constituents would replace them if they fail to adhere to health measures and eventually dies.
“You know immediately you are no more, the people start thinking about replacing you. I made it clear when we went to the funeral of one of our former colleagues, I met the constituents wearing the T-shirts of the aspirant, not of the late Member of Parliament, and I recall saying there that if it ever happened to me, which would not happen, and you did that and came to my funeral, I would take you away. So please let’s take our health seriously.
The Speaker who also seemed concerned about his health on Friday, March 24, disclosed to the House that he is not ready to die.
His statement was also in accordance with the proceedings of the House accompanied by long sitting hours.
Mr Bagbin said to the House that “I am not prepared to die now. My 100 years haven’t come yet.”
He added that “I must be very clear that the first rule of nature is self-survival, if I am no longer Speaker of today, Parliament of Ghana will continue.”
Reiterating his statements in Parliament on Tuesday, the Speaker said “so please when I am suspending the House, you should understand. The Speaker should not be on the chair continuously for more than two hours, it’s unhealthy.”