Category: Medical

The Centre for Plant Medicine Research – Mampong Akuapem (CPMR) is developing herbal anti-snake venom as a natural remedy to save the lives of people who are bitten by snakes.

Researchers at the Centre are currently conducting trials on the product, which is about 80-90 per cent complete.

Mr Kwadwo Asare Agyei, Head, Public Relations and Marketing, CPMR, said researchers are ‘seriously’ working on the product to ensure its efficiency.

He said the Centre was hopeful that the Government would adopt the product when it was ready to help stem deaths associated with snakebites and address the repeated shortage of anti-snake venom.

‘We don’t joke with standardisation. So, we want to make it a policy that whenever we are through (standardisation) with this particular venom, Government will come on board, probably adopt the product and give it to the Ghanaian populace,’ Mr Agyei said.

The World Health Organisation has considered snakebite as a neglected tropical disease that plagued rural communities.

The suppl
y of anti-snake venom to health facilities particularly those in rural communities has not been regular over the years.

To make up for the shortage, some rural folks resort to local remedies, including ‘black stone’ which many believe sucks the venom from a reptile bite when placed on the wound.

In 2019 for instance, Kwahu Afram Plains, a town in the in the Eastern Region recorded an increment in deaths from snakebites due to what medical officers described as delay in reporting the cases to hospitals after resorting to the use of local concoctions.

The Presbyterian Hospital at Donkorkrom in the Kwahu Afram Plains North recorded five mortality cases from snakebites as against two in 2018, making snakebites the third cause of death at the Hospital as compared to 2018 when it was ranked 10th.

Mr Agyei said the CPMR was constantly researching into emerging challenge to guide the development of efficient plant-based medicines.

He said the acceptability of herbal medicine improved after the COVID-19 pandemic,
but called for continuous education and sensitisation to clear misconceptions about the use of herbal medicines.

‘We have not lost focus on some of our products which have been taken to Nuguchi to work on to see how effective we can work on the COVID-19; we are about 75-80 per cent through. It has proven to be very successful,’ he said.

In 2021, the CPMR was adjudged the outstanding research and development Company (Herbal Medicine) at the Ghana Business Standard Awards for its diligence and work output.

The Centre also won the Herbal Company of the Year at the Ghana Pharma Awards the same year.

Mr Agyei appealed to manufacturers of herbal products to submit their products to the Centre for quality testing to meet regulatory standards and ensure the safety of consumers.

‘We are going to assist them (manufacturers) to run the necessary tests to secure their certificate. Acquiring the certificates will boost the public’s confidence in the products they are taking,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Matthew Adam Ayamba, the Adaklu District Director of Health, Tuesday emphasized the importance of timely response to epidemics and emergency cases.

‘We must attach importance to timely response to epidemics and emergency cases such as diseases and accidents,’ he said.

Mr Ayamba said this during an interaction with the press at Adaklu Helekpe in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region and urged the Adaklu District Assembly to collaborate with the District Health Directorate to identify under-reported diseases and provide solutions through screening.

He called for the strengthening of the district health system and enhancement of the capacity of frontline volunteers to enable them to identify disease symptoms during outbreaks.

The lack of logistics, including an ambulance for emergency conveyance of patients were some of the challenges facing the Directorate, he said.

Mr Eugene Doe-Amegayibor, the District Planning Officer, Adaklu District Assembly, told the Ghana News Agency that although an action pla
n on emergency preparedness had been drafted by the Assembly, it was yet to be implemented.

He noted the significance of incorporating such plans into the Assembly’s Annual Action Plan to prevent and mitigate unforeseen circumstances.

Mr Samuel Yao Atidzah, the Executive Director of GOSANET Foundation, a Health NGO operating in the district, called for the establishment of a public health emergency fund by the Assembly to reduce the reliance on external assistance and urged stakeholders to engage and implement the preparedness plans.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr John Chigbu, Chief Executive Officer, Cassona Ghana, has appealed to the Government to make the importation of medical imaging equipment duty-free to help reduce the cost of such products.

He said Cassona had identified that many private health facilities were not resourceful enough to purchase and maintain medical imaging equipment as they were expensive.

Delivering a message ahead of Ghana’s Independence Day Celebration in Accra, Mr Chigbu said lack of access to such equipment undermined quality healthcare delivery as some diseases required special diagnoses to aid treatment.

Medical imaging encompasses technologies such as ultrasonography, x-rays, mammography, computed tomography (CT scans), and nuclear medicine.

Access to capital and high interest rates were major disincentive to health facilities to procure life-saving equipment to provide quality healthcare delivery for the citizenry, Mr Chigbu said.

‘If I am importing equipment valued at $100,000 and I pay 40 per cent of duty, the cost is now $
140,000.

‘It is the person who buys the equipment that pays the added amount so it is expensive. The Government should collectively come to the realisation that what we want to do is to make it affordable,’ Mr Chigbu said.

He congratulated Ghana for attaining 67 years of independence and commended the country for consolidating its democracy and ensuring political stability over the years.

He said Cassona was aware of the challenges affecting the ability of health facilities to access medical imaging equipment and gave an assurance that the company would continue to support health facilities in the country to access affordable and efficient medical imaging equipment.

Mr Chigbu said the company would be establishing five well equipped centres of excellence across the country this year to support quality healthcare delivery and training.

He said the Centre would provide internship opportunities for students to acquire hands-on experience on how to operate the machines.

Mr Chigbu said Cassona would also don
ate specialised medical imaging equipment to medical schools to aid the training of students.

‘A system of re-education is required to create a population that is inward looking. Right now we are outward-looking. We need to train our local engineers by giving them the equipment to learn.

‘Our diagnostic centre when opened, will reserve a week for students to have clinicals,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

GOSANET Foundation, a Health Non-Govermental Organisation (NGO) operating in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region, is advocating a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan to ensure the safety, security and well-being of communities in the district during epidemics.

Proactive budgetary allocation towards the plan was very important to achieve the desired results, Mr Samuel Yao Atidzah, the Executive Director of the NGO, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Ho on Monday.

He said the Foundation was working to empower local assemblies to effectively integrate emergency preparedness strategies into local action plans to fight epidemics.

The threat of epidemics could have far-reaching economic and social consequences on the people, therefore the assemblies must create the necessary mechanisms and empower the people to prevent diseases, Mr Atidzah said.

‘We want to emphasize the importance of preventive measures to minimize the adverse effect of epidemics,’ he said.

By fostering collaboration betw
een local authorities, Healthcare professionals and community members, GOSANET sought to develop emergency response mechanisms tailored to the unique needs of the people.

Mr Atidzah urged the Adaklu District Assembly to coordinate resources and streamline communication channels to provide information to the people to make informed decisions.

‘By investing in proactive measures and integrating emergency preparedness into local governance structures, we could mitigate the socio-economic impact of epidemics and safeguard the wellbeing of the people,’ he stated.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Medical and Dental Council, Ghana, has inducted 295 Physician Assistants and Qualified Anaesthetists, who have undergone training and met all necessary requirements of the Council.

The newly qualified inductees from various training institutions across the country have passed their licensure examination and would soon be posted for a mandatory one year internship.

The Physician Assistants would augment and fill the gaps at health facilities, diagnose and administer medical, oral and anaesthesia to patients.

Dr Divine Nanyubala, Registrar of the Council, urged the inductees to be responsible and uphold the ethics of the profession as human lives had been entrusted in their care.

He said: ‘From today, a greater responsibility lies in your care of patients and this role is between life and death. Having met the basic training requirement, the Council will supervise your basic training and formally admit you into the profession. You will be eligible for permanent registration only after you have met the s
tandards.’

Dr Constance Adoyobo, Member of the 10th Board of the Medical and Dental Council, advised the professionals to stay within their limits and refrain from indulging in malpractices that were outside their areas of competence.

She said: ‘You may be exposed to a variety of tasks or procedures which may not necessarily fall in your scope, the caution here is to observe and not to be tempted to go beyond your limit.’

‘Do not present yourself as possessing leaders or training you do not have to the detriment of your patients, develop a cordial and respectful relationship with your seniors and consult your supervisors whenever in doubt,’ she added.

Dr. Hafez Adam, Director for External Health Cooperation, Ministry of Health (MOH), said professional negligence, improper conduct and unethical behaviour of medical professionals being recorded at health facilities were unacceptable.

‘ The people who swore their professional oaths and committed themselves to serve us in our most vulnerable states are now a
busers,’ he stated, saying, in line with the Ministry’s commitment to ensure professionalism and accountability, the Ministry had developed and launched the scope of practice guidelines for Physician Assistants to ensure that they practised within the competency level conferred by their training.

Dr Adam was hopeful that the development of the supervision model would be the Council’s top most priority activity for 2024 to assure the quality of internship of Physician Assistants and effective implementation of the guidelines.

The Director for External Health Cooperation said as the sector was trying to meet its responsibility to deliver on its mandate of universal health care, the caliber of professionals who could deliver would be needed.

Dr Adam noted that most districts did not have doctors so, the posting of Physician Assistants was necessary to augment and fill the gaps.

Source: Ghana News Agency

More than 1,000 vulnerable people, particularly women and children from Bolgatanga and its environs, have benefitted from free health screening and renewal of their membership under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The health screening covered general health examination on conditions such as high blood pressure (Bp), malaria, Hepatitis, blood sugar and Typhoid, among others.

Those who were identified to have certain health conditions were advised to seek medical attention at health facilities.

The screening and renewal of NHIS, done after a health walk, was organised by Mr Samuel Asaa, an Afrobeat (World Music) Musician, and it was part of efforts of giving back to society and contributing to developing the Upper East Region.

He is also set to organise a music concert in Bolgatanga on March 9, 2024, and popular musicians from the Upper East Region and beyond, including the astute King Ayisoba are expected to grace the occasion.

Popularly known as ‘Sam. A. I am’ in the music industry, Mr Asaa
is a native of Gambibgo, in the Bolgatanga East District but is currently based in California, United States of America.

Mr Asaa, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Asaa Music, told the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the exercise that it was his ambition to assist in the development of the region in any way he could.

He said the first edition of the initiative, which was held in 2023, offered free opportunity for more than 700 vulnerable people to renew their NHIS cards to access affordable healthcare and added that he was committed to helping more people.

‘I have had reports of people dying because they do not have health insurance or are not able to renew so I feel if the health insurance card can save lives, then I have to help those that I can help to save their lives,’ he said.

He said unemployment was still a major issue in Ghana and the Upper East Region, in particular, and expressed commitment to working with stakeholders in the region to find ways of creating jobs for the growing y
outh.

‘My goal right now is to help the people of Bolgatanga and help get jobs for the youth, so, I have friends who have expressed interest to help build health facilities in the communities which will create jobs for the people.

‘I will continue to do the best I can, but I also need the support of all people in the region to ensure our vision of developing comes to fruition,’ he added.

He said the concept of music is about promoting peace and development and encouraged his fellow musicians to use their talents to promote unity and rally people together to undertake development initiatives.

Mr Rex Asanga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, commended the Musician for the initiative to help develop the region and called on other indigenes in the diaspora to emulate Mr Asaa and return to develop the region.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr. Stephen Ayisi Addo, Programmes Manager of the National Aids Control Programme (NACP), has asked seekers of care for sexually transmitted diseases to not be driven off by fear following the passage of the bill on human conduct.

Parliament passed the Family and Human Values Bill and is awaiting the President’s assent.

Data show that a significant number of STIs were being hosted by members of the same sex and queer communities and Dr Addo assured them that their health needs would not be affected even in the event of the law’s final passage.

‘All our recipients of care should not be afraid that when we are treating them, they will be arrested,’ the Programmes Manager said at the ongoing joint HIV/Tuberculosis Annual Review Meeting in Ho.

Top of the agenda at the three-day joint meeting was the overview of programmes for the years 2024 to 2026, being powered by the Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 7 (GC7), which is a 234 million dollars to help fight HIV/TB and Malaria in the country.

A target of 1.9 million p
eople would be tested for HIV under the GC7, and the Programmes Manager told the Ghana News Agency that stigma and discrimination was sure to rise and hamper the health efforts with the passage of the human conduct law.

‘The law would have a certain impact, but we will do our best to manage it. Health workers take care of everybody irrespective of their sexual conduct,’ he said.

Mr. Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, Acting Chairman of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund, said it was ‘quite worried about recent developments in the country.

‘The new law is going to place some impediments in our way as health workers,’ he added, calling for key populations affected to not be denied access to care.

He said the Global Fund had so far invested US$1.2 billion in the country, sustaining some 254,000 people on TB and HIV treatment.

He appealed to the Government to ensure the availability of domestic resources, including counterpart funding to help fight the diseases.

The annual joint TB/HIV review brough
t heads of the Ghana Health Service from across the Regions, and various stakeholders, including the WHO, UNICEF, and CSOs as well as health research institutions.

Mr. Patrick Kumah Aboagye, Director General of the Ghana Health Service, in a speech read on his behalf at the opening, commended the significant strides in the fight against HIV and Aids.

He mentioned ‘remarkable progress’ during the year under review and said efforts should be made to address delays in the disbursement of funds.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Clifford Vengkumwini, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Health, has decried the seemingly poor image generated from the over-aged X-ray machine, saying it was drawing quality health services backward.

Mr Vengkunmwini also identified critical challenges that were confronting the health sector and preventing the facility from delivering one-stop quality services to the clients in the area in the face of a remarkable increase in outpatient attendance.

He said, ‘The Municipal hospital runs on an outmoded, x-ray machine that produces poor quality imaging. Hence most clients requiring x-ray services are referred to unfortunately a much younger district for such services and this is delaying access to health care in real time’.

Mr Vengkumwini raised the concern during this year’s health review session of the Ghana Health Service and other partners at Tumu.

The other challenge hampering health services, he said, was patients sharing space with dead bodies.

He explained that ‘When a death occurs at the ho
spital, the body is required to be separated from the living immediately but in the case of the Tumu hospital, the situation is different.

‘Corpses stay over 24 hours in undesignated areas because there is no morgue for the dead’.

The Director also bemoaned the inadequate laboratory services in the area and its negative effect on quality health care in disease diagnosis for treatment.

‘It is sad to note that the Sissala East Municipality has only three laboratories out of eight health centers, a polyclinic and a hospital with 52 CHPS zones.

The remaining health centers need laboratory services to ease the burden of pregnant women having to travel many kilometers on inappropriate means of transport for their routine labs’, he said.

The theme for this year’s review conference was ‘Fostering Collaboration: Engaging Stakeholders in Reducing Maternal and perinatal Mortalities through a Resilient Healthcare System’ which Management carefully selected after a systematic review of the performance.

Maternal and
perinatal health are fundamental indicators of the overall well-being of a society and are closely linked to broader issues such as poverty, education, and gender equality.

Mr Vengkumwini highlighted some of the activities that were conducted across the health care facilities, including the capacity building for midwives on the management of postpartum hemorrhage, helping mothers and babies survive, long-acting reversible contraceptives, conducting breast screening for adolescents in schools for early detection of cancers.

He said management also embarked on a data collection exercise to enumerate foreign immigrants.

Dr Damien Punguyire, the Upper West Regional Director of Health, in a speech read on his behalf said the mandate of the health services was to ensure good health for all and implored the partners to bring out issues that would contribute to the growth of the health sector in lifting it from challenges.

Mr Fuseini Yakubu Batong, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive, congratulated the hea
lth service staff and advised churches, and mosques to educate their members about the annual warm weather season and the possible outbreak of cerebral spinal meningitis.

Professor Sanlinwia Salifu Mumuni, Principal of the Tumu College of Education, who chaired the function extolled all to take health issues seriously.

Source: Ghana News Agency