Ghanaians urged to adopt preventive and curative healthcare

Sogakofe (V/R), Dec. 5, GNA - Dr Felix Kwaku Anyah, Director-General of Holy Trinity Medical Centre has called for the utilization of Preventive Alternative Curative Medicine (PACM) as a way of life to bolster one's healthy living condition. He said PACM therapy demands a complete paradigm shift to regular exercises, healthy diet and stress management, especially in the office, family or social setting.

People should also adopt the use of water to stimulate circulation and aid mental relaxation, aquatic sports or exercises, massage, sauna and physiotherapy, he told the Ghana News Agency during a tour of his spa and health farm at Sogakope in the South Tongu district. The one million-dollar facility, the first of its kind in Ghana, is located along the banks of the Volta River and has infrared sauna, beta machines, steam shower bath, herbal shop and a gymnasium. It also houses a tennis court, swimming pools and other therapeutic equipment.

There are skin specialists, cardiologists, rehabilitation and alternative medicine practitioners, pastors, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and nutritionists at hand to attend to guests on demand. Dr Anyah said apart from treating identified diseases of visitors, the facility also enhances their mental, psychological, spiritual and emotional well-being.

=93One's health should not be determined only by the absence of disease, but also by the mental, psychological, spiritual and emotional fitness of the individual,=94 he said, and urged Ghanaians to maintain good environmental and personal hygiene as a means of maintaining good health.

He said the socio-economic conditions and pressure of work had inhibited most Ghanaians from taking periodic vacation, noting that others also preferred to sell their annual leave for economic gains at the peril of their life.

=93As a result many Ghanaians are constantly under pressure of work, fatigue, overweight and going through emotional challenges with some of them resorting to heavy consumption of stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola drinks, as well as smoking,=94 he observed.

He expressed concern about the increasing cases of lifestyle-related diseases and urged Ghanaians to improve on their nutritional status, exercise regularly, have adequate sleep and adopt positive attitudes towards health.

He said health farms offer special relaxation classes, yoga, and biofeedback techniques as they are equipped to give diathermy - form of physical therapy in which body tissues are subjected to deep heating by the use of high-frequency electromagnetic waves.

He described as 93interesting=94 the tendency of many people who spend money on the maintenance of their cars and other equipment but do not make time and resources for their health. Rather, they complain about the cost of health care.