Prioritise your health - Dr Akwasi Osei

Dr. Akwasi Osei, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mental Health Authority, has urged Ghanaians to prioritise their health and general wellbeing, particularly mental health issues.

He asserted that most Ghanaians focused on making money more than taking care of themselves.

Speaking with the Ghana News Agency, Dr Osei said some people laid emphasis on moneymaking and refused to rest.

‘‘Someone may wake up at 4am, leave for work and will not come back until probably 11pm and by the time he comes the children are asleep,” he said.

The socio-economic impacts of unexpected medical challenges cannot be overstated. Good health prevents exclusion, poverty, suffering and economic costs to victims and their families and businesses.

It is estimated that total costs of occupational accidents and disease is between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in various countries, and the International Labour Organization estimates that 4 per cent of global GDP is lost due to occupational accidents and diseases.

Occupational ill health can lead to disability, reliance on benefits, early retirement, loss of a breadwinner and poverty.

Dr Osei said ensuring wellness involved a holistic care of the entire human body to ensure that the individual was living a healthy life, emotionally, physically and psychologically.

He underscored the need for people to have regular check-ups and treatment of disease to ensure physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

The CEO said regular check-ups would forestall illnesses or early treatment.

“...Go for full check up, go through a series of de-stressing. If you allow stress to build up it gets to a point that it depresses you to become suicidal,” Dr Osei said.

He alluded that the body must be catered for like the way vehicles were sent to mechanics to be fixed.

The CEO noted that inner peace was critical for people to relate with friends and neighbours and lead productive lives.

Dr Osei advised the citizenry to delegate functions as well as share ideas to offload pressure and problems from their heads.

He noted that some parents did not spend quality time with their children, hence, unable to steer them on the right path.

Dr Betty Bankah, Family Physician and Head of Adolescent Care Clinic, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, said there was the need to manage and cope with stress at home and work, eat the right food, as well as exercising to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

“Right now, we are eating a lot of processed foods, saturated fat and meat and have gone away from our local foods. Also, we are not exercising, we sit in front of the television (TV) with our phones, we are not moving around, we sit in our cars, go to work, come back home and sit in front of the TV again,’’ she said.

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