Category: Medical

Madam Sherifa Sekyere-Tijani, Nkwanta South Constituency Parliamentary Candidate of the New Patriotic Party in the Oti Region, has urged the public to prioritise their health needs and go for regular check-ups.

She said this would ensure a healthy body than living on the assumption that they are well because of being able to move freely without noticeable or visible conditions.

She said regular check-ups help individuals to know their health status and to maintain a healthy life.

Madam Sekyere-Tijani, who is also the Deputy Managing Director of the State Housing Corporation, made the appeal when she organised a health screening exercise for the residents of Bonakye and its surrounding communities.

The initiative, supported by NLA Good Foundation in collaboration with Lafiya Clinic, was held at the main market of Bonakye.

The free medical screening event was met with overwhelming participation from members of the community and its catchment areas, who turned out in their large numbers to avail themselves
of the screening from basic check-ups to special screening.

The individuals, who partook in the screening, were given the opportunity to address their health concerns in a supportive and caring environment.

‘The success of this initiative will not have been possible without the dedication and hard work involved. I, therefore, extend my appreciation to the dedicated members, who contributed in various capacities to ensure the success of the event,’ she said.

Madam Sekyere-Tijani reminded them of her commitment to ensure the welfare of the constituents and urged them to give her the mandate to serve the people of Nkwanta South, come December 7.

The residents, who took part in the health screening, thanked Madam Sherifa-Tijani for organising such an exercise in the community because it had helped them to know their health status and encouraged them to mainstream regular check-ups.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mama Hodzige II, Divisional Queen mother of Klik or-Agblorgame, has appealed to individuals and corporate organisations interested in the development of the girl-child to support her ‘Menstrual Hygiene Project’ with menstrual pads.

Engaging with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Klikor in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region, Mama Hodzige, said she conceived the idea after realising that many girls absented themselves from school duing menstrual periods.

‘Some of the girls in my community are not regular in school and my interactions with them shows their parents can not afford to get them sanitary pads when they are in their menstrual flow.’

‘I decided to do this small project to support them with sanitary pads’, she added.

She said, ‘menstruation is not a choice’, so everyone should ‘get committed to support the girl-child’ to stay in school and learn.

Mama Hodzige II, also the Ketu South Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), asked those inter
ested in the Project to call +233 24 355 3461 for their support.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Eugene Addo, father of the two-year old boy who was viciously attacked by a dog at Madina Warehouse in Accra, has appealed to the public for financial support to pay his son’s medical bills.

The two-year-old boy was attacked by a mixed shepherd breed dog, last week Monday midnight at Madina and tore part of his anus and the flesh around that area as well as the testicles, leaving the toddler in a critical condition.

A corrective surgery had been performed at the affected parts, but the stool had been diverted to the abdomen to allow for passage.

Mr Addo said he was told by one of the Doctors attending to the son that he would need at least GHC 20,000 to enable his son to undergo six additional corrective surgeries for the child’s survival.

He told the Ghana News Agency that he was also expected to make payment of GH 2,700 per week for three weeks for an electronic device, supporting the child’s treatment.

According to him, he is currently struggling to pay for medical bills and feeding, saying ‘as we
speak, I do not have anything on me to pay for the bills, as a young security man, my salary is only GHC 500 and myself, my wife and the child depended on that money for the whole month until the unfortunate incident happened.

Mr Addo said the owner of the dog and his wife had so far supported them with GHC 4,000 but had refused to continue with the financial support.

‘When we called my Boss, who is the owner of the dog, to inform him about subsequent payment, he told me that he would not be able to make further payment and that he had done his best,’ he stated.

He was saddened as the Doctor had confirmed to him that growing up, his son would not be able to grow a beard, pubic hair and other features as an adult and would not be able to bear children.

‘I am sad, it is unfortunate that my son must go through this situation. I could not help it when the news was broken to me,’ he stated.

He was aggrieved that though they had reported to the Police, there had not been any investigations yet and the dog was
still in the house.

He called on institutions, individuals and the public to support his family to pay for their son’s medical bills.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A two-year-old boy mauled by a dog in Accra has undergone a successful surgery, Dr. Hope Glover Addy, a Pediatric Surgeon, Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital, told the Ghana News Agency on Monday.

Dr. Addy said plastic surgery had been performed at the anus, the affected part, and the stool diverted to the abdomen to allow for smooth passage.

The two-year old boy was attacked by a mixed shepherd breed dog last Monday night and got part of his anus and the flesh around that area as well as the private part chopped off, leaving the toddler in critical condition.

The mother had left him in a baby court to use the washroom when the incident happened.

Dr. Addy said despite the success of the first surgery, chances of survival of the toddler would depend on the final surgery, which was yet to be performed.

He said: ‘The boy is injured, part of the anus and the skin around the place have been chopped off so, we have diverted the stool from the anus to the abdomen.

‘If the place clears up, we will remove the plastic s
urgery to see what we can do, whether to patch up the raw area, then after that we can think of subsequent surgeries… bringing another vault back to the anus.

‘If he does not get any overwhelming infection, the place will heal normally…and with the anus, there are some muscles that enable one to control the passage of stools. If we test again and we realise that the muscles are not working very well , it means the child may not be able to control the amount of stool that would come out of the anus so he will just be walking and the stool will just be coming out, unless we find out other procedures to help him not to soil himself,’ he explained.

The paediatric surgeon said the injuries were severe, requiring intensive treatment, with significant financial burden on the parents.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Studies have confirmed more than three million people nationwide living with various mental health conditions, the Coalition of NGOs in Health has said.

The coalition said the rising cases of mental health were worrying and alarming, and therefore called on all stakeholders to pool ideas and resources together and help bring the situation under control.

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chairman of the Bono Regional chapter of the Coalition who made the call urged the government to prioritise mental health, identify and tackle the immediate and remote causes contributing to the surge in mental health conditions.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Ahenu said most of the mental health conditions could be partly attributed to emotional problems emanating from marriages, broken homes, extreme poverty, and sexual exploitation and abuse.

He was speaking to the GNA after the coalition held its first quarter meeting for the year and to discuss pertinent issues in the health sector in the
region, saying ‘inwardly many people are going through emotional trauma.’

Mr Ahenu said proactive measures ought to be put in place to arrest the rise in substance abuse among the youth, saying, if nothing was done, many of the youth would become lunatics.

He also expressed worry about the soaring cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and attendant deaths at major health facilities, saying studies showed NCDs contributed about 43 percent of deaths nationwide.

Mr Ahenu said cases of diabetes and hypertension were high due to poor eating habits, lack of regular exercises and unhealthy lifestyles of many Ghanaians and encouraged everybody to do regular medical checkups to know their health condition.

He said the coalition planned to undertake health outreach exercises to intensify public awareness creation on substance abuse, alcoholism, and called for support from the Ghana Health Service and civil society organisations to achieve useful outcomes.

Mr Ahenu said maternal and child mortality remained ano
ther daunting challenge in the country that required urgent attention to help the nation to the goal three of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The global goal three enjoins nations around the globe to put in place measures for enhanced good health and wellbeing for all by 2030.

Mr Ahenu therefore, advised pregnant women to attend regular antenatal and post-natal clinics and endeavour to give birth at health facilities.

He said the coalition in the region had set up projects and funding raising committees to mobilize funds for its activities in the health sectors and called for support from corporate bodies, religious organisations and wealthy individuals.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Tamale West Hospital has taken delivery of quantities of antimalarial drugs to boost health care delivery for patients at the facility.

The drugs, estimated at GHc182,000.00, included Lonart, P-Alaxin, and GSUNATE amongst others.

Bliss GVS Pharma, a drugs’ manufacturer, donated the drugs to the Tamale West Hospital.

Mr Ibrahim Mumuni Seidu, Medical Representative of Bliss GVS Pharma, who handed over the drugs to the authorities of the Tamale West Hospital in Tamale, said the gesture was to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day as well as help in the fight against the disease in the country.

Mr Seidu said, ‘Bliss GVS Pharma is committed to improving the quality of lives of the people in the places where we serve and do business. We annually do this donation during the World Malaria Day to hospitals around the country.’

He added that ‘This is an effort from Bliss GVS Pharma to try to eradicate malaria from Ghana and the world at large because we understand the impact malaria has on people’s lives.
This donation will provide much needed treatment to people who visit this facility and other places.’

Dr Billah Bagamsah, Head of Pharmacy, Tamale Central Hospital, who received the drugs, expressed gratitude to the company for the gesture, saying the drugs had come at the right time to ensure quality health care delivery to the people.

He said, ‘Malaria is among the top three mortalities in the hospital. So, this donation will really go a long way to curb or to reduce the incidence of malaria in the hospital.’

He added that ‘Pregnant women and children under five years are the most vulnerable groups. So, we’ll be targeting them. If you check our OPD attendance, currently, as the rain has started, the OPD attendance for malaria is increasing and with these products, it will help the hospital treat this illness.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Reverend Albright Banibensu, a Consultant Counselling professional and the immediate past National Vice President of the Ghana Psychological Association, has asked men experiencing Erectile Dysfunction (ED) to seek psychological help.

He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that although some ED conditions were medical, the majority of the cases were psychological and advised men with the condition not to shy away from counselling and clinical psychologists to avoid abusing drugs.

Erectile Dysfunction according to John Hopkins Medicine is a persistent inability to achieve or maintain penile erection sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance.

Controllable risk factors are overweight, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

Rev. Banibensu said in Ghana, erectile dysfunction was highly triggered by increased stress, and misinformation on sexuality causing performance anxiety.

‘Economic pressures, workload, long travel distance to work, housing problems and noise pollution,
all expose men to ED. There is so much noise in the environment, which makes it difficult for men to focus or concentrate during sex,’ he said.

Rev. Banibensu said that among most Ghanaian couples, ED was the third cause of marital problems, leading to divorce in some cases.

He said misinformation on sex and advertorials on aphrodisiacs in the media was a major concern and urged men to be circumspect about their sexuality.

Dr Kelvin Owusu, a Wellness Consultant Doctor at Violet’s Medical Center, a Private Health facility in Accra, said the uncontrolled and continued use of alcoholic and non-alcoholic aphrodisiacs in the form of bitters, dried herbs and pills may worsen erectile dysfunction conditions.

He said the composition of those aphrodisiacs could also predispose men to health complications like kidney and liver dysfunction or failure.

‘When it comes to sex, the best aphrodisiac is exercise and healthy living, your sexual performance is dependent on your heart health, if your heart is healthy, your
sexual performance will improve naturally; taking medication to last long during sex puts pressure on the heart and can lead to death while in the act,’ he said.

Dr Owusu said ED was also the body’s way of signalling men to check and improve their health, eat well, exercise regularly and get enough rest, adding ‘Your sexual performance is part of your holistic health; once you are healthy, your waist will do the job’.

He said everyone at some point in life would experience ED depending on what they were going through, and that research had also shown that penetrative sex would only last from three to six minutes.

The International Index on Erectile Function (IIEF) says in 1995, there were over 152 million men worldwide, who experienced ED and projects that by 2025, approximately 322 million men will have ED, an increase of nearly 170 million with Africa largely affected.

Dr Owusu said Non-Communicable Diseases like hypertension and diabetes expose men to ED due to complications or poor treatment of the di
seases, explaining that ‘hypertension will cause ED, the treatment of hypertension may cause ED, but ED caused by the medication can be corrected.’

Selling sex enhancers is a growing business for many, especially drinking bar operators and herbalists.

Some individuals also prepare their own concoctions.

Kwame Amanfo, a public servant, told the Ghana News Agency he had his own mixtures to enhance sexual pleasure.

‘… not the ones advertised on the market, I have herbs, I prepare by myself with alcohol and it is very effective,’ he said.

A commercial driver, Master Karkari, said ‘There is this medicine I take, it’s from China, the medicine is super when you take it, you can have sex with women till the next day and you will still be hard.’

Mr Kingsley Boamah, a pharmacist at A Blacks Pharmacy, Ablekuma, said in Ghanaian society, the social expectation that a man had to be strong in bed-and last longer during sex-had landed many in health crises.

‘Some men take the drugs to increase the size of their manho
od, most of the men, who buy aphrodisiacs here tell me how they feel disgraced when unable to perform well in bed,’ Mr. Boamah said.

Dr Kenneth Klufio, a Specialist Urologist at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), said his facility recorded many cases of priapism among men who used aphrodisiac.

Priapism is a painful erection that lasts for several hours when blood remains in the penis and can not drain.

He said five to eight men reported with ED daily during consultations and encouraged men, who experience ED to report to the hospital because there was help available to manage the condition.

‘ED affects the quality of life, a person’s happiness… seek help,’ Dr Klufio said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), a gender focused non-governmental organisation, has urged vulnerable people particularly widows, orphans, and disadvantaged groups to enroll onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

That, it said, would help reduce the financial burden on them in accessing health care in the country.

The organization made the call when it sensitised women leaders and Assembly members at Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region on the benefits package of the NHIS.

Organised, in partnership with ActionAid Ghana, the sensitisation aimed at equipping the participants with requisite knowledge about NHIS coverage to guide them in accessing health care while empowering them to take advantage of the exemptions on the NHIS for vulnerable persons in their communities.

Ms Nancy Awinbisa Amiziah, Project Officer at WOM, noted that even though there were exemptions on the NHIS for some vulnerable categories of persons, including persons with disabilities, indigenes,
and persons over 70 years old, for lack of knowledge, these people were not taking advantage of such benefits.

‘While we encourage our women and other vulnerable groups to enroll on the scheme, what we also seek to achieve at the end of the day at this sensitisation is to enlighten our women to access the services the NHIS provides, especially the exemptions,’ she stated.

‘Some of them have vulnerable children who, by the policy, are exempted from paying processing fees for acquiring the NHIS membership cards, but they still pay full amounts to be enrolled in the scheme, and the reason is simply that, they are not aware’. She added.

She emphasised that the leaders, having been sensitised, were expected to in turn educate their members in their respective communities to be abreast with the NHIS coverage to effectively access health care services.

Mr Mumin Muttalib, Assistant Public Relations Officer, Talensi/Nabdam Districts of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), indicated that the Authority was fu
lly aware of the problems associated with the NHIS as some card bearers complained of not enjoying the full services covered by the NHIS at the facility level and was therefore strategising measures to curb the menace.

While encouraging the women to enroll in the scheme and renew their membership cards annually, he urged them to report cases where they are made to pay for services covered by the NHIS to the nearest NHIA offices for assistance.

Madam Beatrice Saah, leader of the Wakii Titeltaba women’s group, said the workshop had exposed her to so many things of which she was unaware of as a member, and added, ‘I will make sure everything learned here is relayed to my group members. ‘

Mr Apana Atubila, Assembly Member, Baare Electoral Area, thanked the organisation for the enlightenment and pledged to support vulnerable people in his community to enroll onto the scheme.

Source: Ghana News Agency