Dr Samuel Kodzo Togbe, a specialist in Family Medicine and Anaesthesia at the Techimantia Government Hospital in the Tano South Municipality of the Ahafo Region has advised the public to desist from using herbs for the treatment of chronic cough and abdominal pains.
Instead, people who experienced such signs and symptoms, must immediately report to health facilities for medical examination and medication.
Dr Togbe said chronic cough and abdominal pain were immediate signs and symptoms of hernia, saying such symptoms were mostly common among men in farming communities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a health outreach exercise held at Kwame-Danso in Sene West District of the Bono East Region, Dr Togbe said though the cause of hernia remained unknown, complications could lead to death and treatment could also be done for patients who reported cases early.
Dr Togbe led a team of medical practitioners to undertake the two-week outreach exercise, sponsored by Mr Joseph Kumah Mackay, the Chief Executive Officer of the Middle Belt Development Authority (MBDA) and an aspirant contesting in the Sene West constituency primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
More than 300 residents, including children and the aged spread across the district benefited from free health screening exercise and lump surgeries. Patients with minor hernia cases were also put on medication.
Dr Togbe said hernia and related lumps were common among farmers in the area because they exerted a lot of pressure in their farm work and advised patients to refrain from the use of herbal medicine when going through such pains and symptoms.
‘We can easily treat hernia, but it is also deadly, when the disease develops into lumps,’ he stated, and advised further that parents whose children also experienced such signs and symptoms to seek medication for them.
He said it was untrue hernia and its related bumps were linked to witchcraft, family curse or wizardly, but admitted hernia was hereditary, but could be treated, and managed.
Dr Togbe expressed appreciation to Mr Mackay for the support, saying hernia cases were very common in the area and the people needed more support to undergo surgeries and medication.
Source: Ghana News Agency
