The Acting Registrar General for Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, Dr Philip Yaw Bannor has urged Ghanaians to take keen interest in knowing their health status and seek the right medication attention.
He expressed worry over how some Ghanaians wait until their health conditions deteriorate before they visit medical facilities for emergency health care.
He stressed that routine medical checkup must not only be done when health screening exercises are organized by various agencies or bodies, but the populace should go for checkups voluntarily.
Dr Yaw Bannor made the remarks during a health screening event organized by a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Saving Life International for residents of Oyoko in the Sekyere Kumawu District of Ashanti Region.
“Some people are always afraid to see the doctor because of what the news could be. It is fairly well-known. Some people even if they don’t have a problem, as soon as they see the doctor in a white coat, their blood pressure may go up high. But guess what, refusing to address your problem does not mean your problem will go away. So we need to head on, address the issue. So it is good to always see the doctor rather than wait until things get worse”, he indicated.
He also attributed the increasing cases of hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases to the continuous consumption of fatty foods by the public.
He advised persons with such health conditions to always engage in routine body exercises to avoid the problems of getting their conditions worsening.
Quality healthcare delivery remains a challenge in most rural communities in Ghana and some instances urban areas.
The exercise which targeted over 500 residents from the community was used to diagnose beneficiaries with various ailments.
The exercise focused on examining the eyes, ears and heart-related diseases of residents.
Health workers gave prescriptions to the residents who needed further medical attention.
The beneficiaries commended organizers of the event and appealed for subsequent ones to be held in the community.