Medical officer expresses worry over ‘metabolic syndrome’ among youth
A Principal Medical Officer at the Trust Hospital, Accra, Dr Maurice Dolla, has expressed concern about rising levels of weight and high blood pressure (BP)-related conditions in the country, especially among the youth.
He said the conditions, commonly termed ‘metabolic syndrome’, were gradually becoming an epidemic in the country and called for urgent changes in lifestyles to contain the situation.
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Dr Dolla made the observation in an interview with the Daily Graphic during a free health screening exercise at Kedzikope, Keta during the Easter.
Health screening Organised by the
Kudoto/Avumegah Family of Keta in collaboration with the Trust Hospital, Accra, the exercise attracted about 900 residents of Keta and surrounding communities.
Mainly the aged and the less privileged, the patients were screened for common killer diseases and conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and typhoid fever by a medical team from the Trust Hospital, Accra.
Strong family system/ healthcare providers
A senior pharmacist and public health practitioner at the Trust Hospital, Mr Tony Avege, also entreated Ghanaians to go back to their old family system where family members were one another’s keeper, saying that would help reduce the many preventable health conditions prevalent now.
Mr Avege appealed to healthcare providers to build relationships with their patients to aid in the early detection of life threatening diseases.
“The healthcare provider has an important role to play in the prevention and control of many ailments. We will encourage them to regularly check up on their patients,” he said.
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Future projects
The Chairman of the Avumegah/Kudoto Family Union, Mr Philip Etse Avumegah, announced that blood donation would be part of future events to support the blood bank of the Keta Municipal Hospital.
He expressed gratitude to the Trust Hospital, Tobinco Pharmaceutical, East Cantonment Pharmacy, CDH Financial Services, Keta Municipal Health Directorate, the Assembly Member for Kedzikope, Mr Amenyo Quashigah, and other sponsors for their immense contributions to the success of the programme.