Features
Ghanaians have poor health behaviour – Dr Stella Gyamfi
Though issues pertaining to health are essential and should not be compromised, Ghanaians have been described as people with poor health behaviour.
A Public Health Specialist In- Charge of the Kaneshie Polyclinic, Dr Stella Gyamfi who made the disclosure said “people do not report at the hospital as the first option, but resort to seeking the opinion of relatives and friends to treat perceived ailments.”
“Others visit pharmacies where investigations are carried into their problems and medications are given while the underlying causes of the ailments are not identified,” she said..
She advised that patients should visit the hospital for proper diagnoses to be carried out on them to identify the disease for the appropriate medicine to be administered to them.
She explained that this was contrary to what pertained in advanced countries, where mandatory medical checkup were in place.
Dr Gyamfi said since health workers were worse offenders, the Ministry of Health had instituted a mandatory Peer Review Screening for its staff with a Medical Doctor In-Charge, after which the performance of the staff would be assessed based on the screening result.
Breast cancer awareness
She said the main reason for breast cancer awareness campaign in October was to educate women about the disease and the need to sensitise them for early detection for prompt treatment to be carried out on the patient.
She lamented that a friend of her’s who had her screening 20 years ago and became an advocate of early detection, had passed on this year.
Dr Gyamfi advised women to examine their breasts after they had completed their menses, adding that they should watch out for signs of lumps or swelling in the breast, discharges and changes in the nipples, changes in the colour of the breast, among others.
She commended women groups for the advocacy roles they had played over the years.
She said though women who had attained 50 years and above, those who had their menopause after 55 years, those who work in an environment where radiation takes place, those obese, and ladies who had commenced their menses as early as 12 years, were at a risk of contracting the disease, recent research had indicated that even ladies as young as 25 years had also contracted the disease.
Youth
She has called on the youth to believe in Jesus as their personal Saviour and he would direct them through life.
“As a child of God, find out God’s plan for you in life, pursue it and you will succeed. Success should be looked at from God’s perspective.”
The youth should be mindful of many destructions in life, pursue academic excellence, access God diligently and things would fall in place.
Career and family life
Dr Stella Gyamfi has three children, one is a medical Doctor, another is a Clinical Psychologist and the third is a PhD student of Actuarial Science.
Born in Kumasi to Mr Paul Brandford Gyamfi Senior and Mrs Grace Gyamfi, both Presbyterians, Dr Stella Gyamfi, started Class One when she was five years old at the State Experimental Primary School in Kumasi.
She passed the Common Entrance Examination at the age of 11 and enrolled at Aburi Senior High School and attended from Form One to Upper Sixth.
Eager to atone for the inability of her mother to become a Medical Doctor but settled for a Midwife, Dr Gyamfi, due to misinformation, chose and read Pharmacy at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for one academic year.
Fortunately, since the determination was there and backed with ability, she assessed Soviet Union Scholarship in 1983 and enrolled to read language for one year, continued to study medicine in Ukraine and successfully completed in 1990.
Dr Gyamfi described the scholarship as very beneficial since many students could not have afforded to study medicine without support from foreign governments.
Poised to broaden her knowledge, she has obtained the following; Certificate in Theology at the Theological Seminary, Legon, 1997-98, Bachelor in Divinity, 1998-2001, Masters in Public Health at the University of Ghana, 200-2001, Masters of Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary, 2004-2005 and PhD in Theology , with Specialty in Theological Ethics, 2013-2018.
Dr Stella Gyaamfi who is an adjunct lecturer has intimated that when she eventually lays down her medical tolls for good, she would prefer to go into full time lecturing.
By Raymond Kyekye
Features
The Palestinian martyr-Little Hind Rajab
THE wickedness of some people in our world is gradually getting out of bounds. From local arena to international arena, reports of wicked acts that defies logic, is on the rise.
Russia has attacked Ukraine and as a result, the economies of many countries have been negatively impacted. Residential apartments which have no military purpose. Just sheer wickedness and cruelty.
After this came the Brutal attack on Gaza by the Israel Defence Forces. Hospitals were bombed, buildings were razed down and civilians were deliberately targeted which is a war crime according to the Geneva Convention.
The IDF will release pamphlets in the skies informing them to move to certain specified areas. They move there with their families only to be bombed again without warning.
It was one of such movement from one place to another that, the family of a 5 year Palestinian girl called Hind Rajab and her family, travelling in a vehicle, were shot at by an IDF Tank.
This wounded girl managed to call emergency services to come and save them.
The sad thing is that while this brave little girl kept talking to the emergency response person on the phone, telling them that they should come quickly and that she was afraid.
She further told the response team on phone that any time she tries to speak, blood comes into her mouth and it soils her dress and she dies not want her mum to scold her so they should come quickly.
The response team rushed as usual to her location but they were also shot and killed, the driver and his assistant, in a vehicle clearly marked as an ambulance. Ten days later when they got to her location, Hind Rajab and her family were dead and their vehicle was riddled with 335 bullets.
The wickedness with which the IDF waged the war against Hamas, the administrative authority in Gaza, was unbelievable, given the damage to civilians both collateral and in most cases deliberate.
There are reports of some Doctors from the US and other countries, who have described how children they attended to, who were brought in dead, had evidence of sniper bullets.
A report by one of the media platforms, indicated that one of the IDF snipers who died recently, had bragged about shooting children in the abdomen so they will suffer before dying.
What baffles me in all these atrocities, is why Jews who have been saved by a collective action of the world, from Hitler and his Nazis from destruction, infamously known as the Holocaust, is now visiting mayhem on others, namely the Palestinians.
One begins to wonder if Hitler was right after all and that he saw something that the rest of the world did not notice about the Jews. I must admit that it is not all Jews that are racist. It is the Zionist who are the problem with their Talmud which teaches that Jesus is burning in hot feaces.
They deliberately teach their children to hate other people who are not Jews especially the Palestinians. They do not consider the Palestinians as humans and therefore they believe they have the God given right to treat them anyway anyhow.
Hind Rajab’s death has pricked the conscience of the world and countries which used to blindly support Israel, are now putting pressure on them to observe a ceasefire as part of a peace negotiation.
Let the world through the UN show that it does not support barbarism and that the illegal occupation of Palestinian lands by Israel, must come to an end.
NB: ‘CHANGE KOTOKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KOFI BAAKO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT’
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Features
Angioplasty: A comprehensive overview of the procedure and its applications
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive medical procedure used to widen narrowed or blocked arteries or blood vessels. The procedure involves the insertion of a catheter, a small tube, into the affected artery, followed by the inflation of a balloon to widen the artery. In some cases, a stent, a small mesh tube, may be placed to keep the artery open.
Indications for Angioplasty
Angioplasty is often used to treat conditions such as:
1. Coronary artery disease: Narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.
2. Peripheral artery disease: Narrowing or blockage of the arteries in the legs or arms.
3. Atherosclerosis: Buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can lead to narrowing or blockage.
The Angioplasty Procedure
The angioplasty procedure typically involves the following steps:
1. Preparation: The patient is given local anesthesia and may be sedated to help them relax.
2. Insertion of the catheter: A small incision is made in the skin, and a catheter is inserted into the affected artery.
3. Guidance: The catheter is guided to the affected area using imaging techniques such as fluoroscopy or angiography.
4. Inflation of the balloon: The balloon on the catheter is inflated to widen the artery.
5. Stent placement: A stent may be placed to keep the artery open.
6. Removal of the catheter: The catheter is removed, and the incision site is closed.
Benefits of Angioplasty
Angioplasty offers several benefits, including:
1. Improved blood flow: Angioplasty can help improve blood flow to the affected area, reducing symptoms such as chest pain or leg pain.
2. Minimally invasive: Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure, which means that it requires only a small incision and can reduce recovery time.
3. Reduced risk of complications: Angioplasty can reduce the risk of complications associated with more invasive surgical procedures.
Potential Risks and Complications
While angioplasty is generally a safe procedure, there are potential risks and complications, including:
1. Bleeding or hematoma: Bleeding or bruising at the incision site.
2. Artery damage: Damage to the artery during the procedure.
3. Restenosis: Narrowing or blockage of the artery again after the procedure.
Conclusion
Angioplasty is a highly effective procedure for treating narrowed or blocked arteries or blood vessels. While it carries some risks and complications, the benefits of improved blood flow and reduced symptoms make it a valuable treatment option for many patients.
References:
1. American Heart Association. (2020). Angioplasty and Stenting.
2. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2020). Angioplasty and Stent Placement.
3. Mayo Clinic. (2020). Angioplasty: What You Need to Know.
4. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. (2019). Angioplasty and Stenting in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of angioplasty, including its indications, procedure, benefits, and potential risks and complications.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
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