Physician assistant advocates for medical diagnosis before spiritual remedies

Mr. Rocky Tettedzie, a Physician Assistant at the Pleasant Medical Centre, Ashaiman Middle East, has advised the public to seek proper medical diagnosis before turning to spiritual remedies. Mr. Tettedzie emphasised the importance of visiting medical treatment centres first to identify any potential health issues and the needed intervention. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview, he acknowledged the role of spirituality and personal beliefs in personal health care decisions, stressing, however, that health institutions were equipped to detect problems through laboratory tests. Mr. Tettedzie stated that clinical conditions could sometimes be diagnosed without lab tests and in such cases, if lab investigations yielded negative results but the patient remained symptomatic, treatment might still be administered, often resulting in the patient's improvement. He noted that when no medical cause can be identified, healthcare providers would explain to patients that health encompassed not only t he absence of disease but also mental and physical well-being. 'While medical centres do not typically direct patients to seek spiritual remedies, there are rare instances where a clinician with spiritual insight might advise so, nonetheless, medical practice prioritises evidence-based treatments,' he said. The physician assistant pointed out that some conditions, like HIV/AIDS, cannot be completely cured but could be managed to improve the patient's quality of life and prevent further complications. He urged people to avoid prioritising spiritual interventions over medical consultations, recommending a proper diagnosis first, if no medical issues were found, they could then explore spiritual avenues, stressing that the Holy Spirit is accessible to everyone for prayer and intervention, not just spiritual leaders. He shared some experiences of patients with breast cancer, cervical cancer, hypertension, and diabetes who sought treatment at religious prayer camps. He said these patients often report to the hospitals very late when faced with severe complications or when their conditions had worsened. Mr. Tettedzie clarified that no doctor would prevent a patient from seeking spiritual health, but medical professionals advised that individuals must first visit health institutions for early diagnosis, adding that clinics might have varied diagnoses, therefore what is undetected at one centre could be identified at another for treatment. Source: Ghana News Agency