Health Essentials
Independence comes with responsibility
Sixty-four years of life in a human is quite an achievement especially when you find yourself in a part of the world where you are LUCKY to be born in a hospital, electricity and water are available during your birth and you have a pliable road connecting you to a hospital with a doctor and a nurse.
In those 64 years you would have had bitter exchanges with mosquitoes and you may even have flirted with typhoid and cholera. You will even consider yourself fortunate if you have access to medication whenever you fall ill and count yourself among the privileged few if the medicine you use is affordable.
In many instances God cures us so the healthcare professionals can take the credit. If you have managed to live this long in the midst of herbal concoctions that can cure virtually every disease and whose representatives artfully ply their trade on buses, bus stations and even in the open without fear then I congratulate you on being alive and healthy.
For obvious reasons many of these “pushers” have disappeared or don’t appear to have answer to COVID. Hmmm just when we needed their magic the most.
Sixty-four years on the other hand in the life of a country may not be that long but it is long enough to provide its citizens with the basic necessities of life; food, shelter, clothing, education, health, electricity and water among others.
64 years for a country is also long enough for leaders and citizens to lovingly neglect their conscience to the extent that a country that may have started fairly well will be found on its knees or maybe even have its face in the mud.
Who is willing to sacrifice for mother Ghana where George Orwell’s Animal Farm seems to be enacted on a daily basis? INDEPENDENCE comes with responsibility and sacrifice and as Ghanaians we have to come to the realization that the places that we admire so much were once like ours or even worse; we need to sacrifice, take pride in our own, treat everyone fairly and ALL of us have to put in our very best to save our motherland.
These past few days I have been thinking about being responsible as individuals.
Acting responsibly will go a long way to bring order, make us more efficient in all aspects, reduce corruption and make us healthy and wealthy as a nation, and then a few things caught my attention;
Throwing Safety to the dogs
It appears we just do not care about human life. From throwing people in jail without trial to creating death traps with the semblance of hospitals. Road construction is a major area of concern. Walking or driving in town during the day is dangerous but attempting to do the same at night is simply suicidal.
Last weekend as I walked along a pavement, I was totally shocked to find open drains, planks with nails jutting out, slabs not properly fixed and all these had no warning signs. How careless can we get?
In the situation above warning signs should have been all over the place and should have started over 50 metres from the construction site. I am sure someone is in charge of the work going on there and even those directly working on the site can be a little bit responsible. This is the norm rather than an isolated case.
Turning our roads into battlefields
If you are like me and many other Ghanaians you must be fed-up with the “important” people who instead of setting out early for an appointment like the rest of us do, would rather cut it close to the time and resort to blaring their horns, flashing their headlights and quite often may even be escorted by a peace officer. Really aren’t the rest of us who are painfully trudging along while we see the minutes tick away equally important and don’t we often have to work so money can be generated to construct more roads and purchase more cars that will push us off the roads?
Then you have to contend with commercial bus drivers who believe they are masters of the steering wheel and they also can’t afford to waste 30 seconds for their turn.
Can you imagine how annoying it is to see motor and bicycle riders jump the red-light with impunity and deliver unprintable words in your direction when you dare to complain?
Nobody seems to care when an ambulance with a critically ill person tries to make its way through traffic. Maybe people are tired of giving way only to find out the ambulance is carrying a corpse or is on its way to the market.
It’s almost a fight on the road; morning, afternoon and evening. You are drained by the time you arrive at work and I daresay your best bet is to take it easy and smile in the midst of all the confusion.
Abusing our children in unimaginable ways
The time has come when at the very least all teachers and healthcare professionals should be on the lookout when they come into contact with a child. Our children are suffering not only from sexual abuse but physical as well as verbal ones. Let us look out for tell-tale signs; an extra quiet child, unexplained marks on a child, a child who appears to be scared for no reason.
The boy-child is equally at risk when it comes to sexual abuse. We often make it appear only the females should be protected but there have been stories of ordeals that the male-child goes through. The boy-child in Ghana is slowly becoming an endangered species even when it comes to education. It is time to learn from the experience of the African-American male.
Fix our healthcare system else we perish together
Nature has a way of warning us years ahead. So COVID-19 made us aware that there can be a time when all borders may be closed and no matter how connected or wealthy you may be you cannot have access to healthcare except what you have grown at home; let us do the needful.
In our current state we can’t even start handpicking any sector or area, we must go for a complete overhaul of every part of our dear country. Fortunately there will be no march past, no speeches and no fanfare this year. Hopefully we will spend all the time reflecting on what we can do for mother Ghana and not the usual what can Ghana do for me or what can I steal from Ghana. Enough is enough.
On Independence Day, I salute all Ghanaians and may we all remember that just us OUR HEALTH IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY, INDEPENDENCE ALSO COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/ St Andrews Clinic
Dr. Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week – “Our Independence is meaningless unless we take responsibility for everything we do and we all have a common goal of working tirelessly to ensure the prosperity of our nation.”
“Me nyare n’anso me nti ap)” is a popular Akan saying that can be translated into English as “I am not ill, yet I feel unwell.” It is that feeling when you just can’t place a finger on what is not right with you.
Today, I can confidently inform you that if you have felt this way in the past, you certainly had a point. Medical science has come a long way, and we know that health and wellness go far beyond the physical aspects such as pain, heart disease, or infections.
Other equally important aspects of wellness exist, and these may be classified as Social, Mental, Spiritual, Financial, and Digital Health and Wellness.
Do not be surprised when your doctor begins to ask you questions about your social network, such as those you have close ties with—family, friends, or both. Longevity depends to a large extent on one’s social support system or network.
As the American Heart Association notes, “lack of SOCIAL CONNECTION is associated with increased risk of premature death from all causes, especially among men.”
This is no open ticket to spend all of one’s after-work hours hanging out with friends under the disguise that you are prolonging your life. Moderation is key in all things, and your strong social ties need not be a whole village. All you need is a handful of loyal friends or family who know you inside out and have your wellbeing at heart.
If you are stressed out or have any mental health challenges, you should be able to speak to a close friend. Sharing your challenge may just be enough, or this friend may be able to advise you appropriately. It is easy to laugh with such friends and not be worried about being judged. Laughter, as you know, is medicine.
Close contacts may prompt you to take your physical health seriously, but even if they don’t, that bond you share produces feel-good hormones that protect you and prolong your health span.
I prefer health span to lifespan simply because lifespan refers to just being alive, but one may not be “living”—you could be bedridden, in a coma, or have multiple organ challenges. We should all aim for a long health span.
The art of building strong social connections is one reason we need to work on getting our children away from their phones and other gadgets that deprive them of the opportunity to talk to peers, share physical contact, and form lifelong relationships.
Dear friend, choose your friends wisely if you want to live a long, healthy, and happy life.
While you work on your social connections, let us breathe our way to great health by following the steps below. Repeat these steps daily:
- Sit in a quiet place.
- Avoid tight clothing (loosen your belt, necktie, or other constricting clothing).
- Take deep breaths through your nostril and exhale slowly through partially closed lips.
- At the peak of your initial inhale, take in another breath and hold for a count of 4 before exhaling.
- Expand your belly as you breathe in.
- Focus on your breathing and forget about everything else.
- When your focus drifts off (and it will about 50% of the time), acknowledge the thought but quickly return to your breathing.
- Continue breathing in and exhaling for five minutes.
- Increase the duration of this breathing/mindfulness over time.
…and remember to teach your friends to breathe too. After all, together you will live a long, healthy, and enjoyable life.
As always: laugh often, ensure hygiene, walk and pray every day, and remember it’s a priceless gift to know your numbers (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI).
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)
(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)
Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine. He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in Exercise Therapy, Fitness Nutrition, and Corrective Exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.
Thought for the week (1): “Lack of sleep may predispose you to many diseases including a STROKE. Jump into bed an hour earlier and sleep a stroke away.”
Thought for the week (2): “There is no magic formula to being happy, but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.”
Join us at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for our end-of-year Wellness Festival on Saturday, 29th November 2025, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. You should not miss this event. All six pillars of wellness will be at play.
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
The prostate gland, a small but essential organ found only in men, plays a key role in reproductive health. It produces fluid that nourishes, protects, and transports sperm, yet many focus only on its connection to prostate cancer.
Location & Function
- Situated between the bladder and penis, with the rectum behind it.
- The urethra passes through the prostate, carrying urine and semen.
Common Prostate Conditions
1. Prostatitis – Infection of the prostate:
- Symptoms: chills, fever, pus-like urethral discharge, painful urination, groin/testicular pain, painful orgasms, erectile dysfunction.
- Advice: Seek professional help; do not self-medicate.
2. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) – Non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate:
- Symptoms: frequent urination (especially at night), urge incontinence, difficulty starting urination, weak stream, painful urination, blood in urine, terminal dribbling, and in severe cases, inability to urinate.
- BPH can be extremely painful, sometimes compared to labor pains.
3. Prostate Cancer – Common among men, especially black men, often aggressive and with earlier onset:
- Risk Factors: older age, African descent, family history, obesity.
- Symptoms: frequent urination, straining, blood in urine/semen, weak urine flow, new erectile dysfunction; advanced stages may include fatigue, weight loss, and bone pain.
Diagnosis
- Digital rectal examination – checks for irregular or hard areas.
- PSA test, biopsy, ultrasound, CT/MRI/PET scans, bone scan.
Management
- Holistic approaches include watchful waiting, medication, surgery, and radiation (external & brachytherapy).
- Always discuss all options with your healthcare provider.
Risk Reduction Tips
- Regular screening
- Healthy, varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, cauliflower)
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise at least 5 days a week
Final Advice
- Share this information – the prostate needs support!
- Maintain good hygiene, walk and exercise daily, pray, and know your numbers (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI).
Thought for the Week:
“There is no magic formula to being happy but making a conscious effort to be happy goes a long way.” – Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Dr. Essel invites readers to the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel Wellness Festival on Saturday, November 29, 2025, at 6 a.m., to walk, exercise, network, and share ideas to stay healthy.
Contact: dressel@healthessentialsgh.com
By Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
