By Janet Owusuwaa Ansah/Georgina Agyen, GNA
Koforidua, Feb. 20, GNA – The Eastern Regional Hospital has established a wellness clinic to provide free screening for high blood pressure and blood sugar levels for people who visit the facility.
This is its contribution to help reduce the rising cases of high blood pressure and stroke related deaths in the Eastern Region.
Dr Cardinal Newton, the Acting Medical Director of the Hospital, announced this at the 2019 Annual Performance Review Press Soiree.
He said many Ghanaians were dying from stroke because they were not checking their blood pressure (BP).
Dr Newton said by the records of the Hospital, stroke was now one of the leading causes of death, affecting both the elderly and the youth.
He said in 2017, the Hospital recorded 73 stroke related deaths and in 2019, the figure rose to 272, which was 16.9 per cent of all deaths recorded in the Hospital.
Dr Newton said pneumonia was also gradually becoming one of the top causes of admission and death and that in 2019, 759 people suffering from pneumonia were admitted to the Hospital, which was 2.7 per cent of all cases admitted.
Pneumonia related deaths was 103, representing 6.4 per cent of all deaths recorded at the Hospital last year, he said.
He said the Hospital had established the endoscopy and laparoscopy units from its Internally Generated Fund, extended the male medical ward, rehabilitated the main Out Patients Department (OPD) and the children’s OPD.
Dr Newton said Management had initiated moves to establish a dialysis unit, refurbish the physiotherapy block and re-roof the main OPD.
GNA