By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Kasseh, Sept. 29, GNA — Mr Seidu Abdul Faruk, popularly known as “Celebrity Nurse,” an HIV/AIDS and health advocate, has urged the public to seek timely medical attention rather than attributing every illness to spiritual causes.
Mr Faruk said health facilities should be the first point of contact for conditions requiring medical attention to prevent complications associated with delayed treatment.
“This is a health issue and must be treated with urgency,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Kasseh.
Mr Faruk, a health worker at the Ada East District Hospital, said some people continued to seek help from prayer camps for conditions that could be medically managed, sometimes delaying treatment until their conditions worsened.
He cited injuries that could lead to tetanus as one example, saying some people failed to seek medical attention after sustaining injuries and reported to health facilities only after complications had developed.
He said some residents also sought spiritual interventions for conditions such as stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes, which required medical assessment and management.
“People go to prayer camps for stroke, BP and diabetes treatment for prayers because they think it is spiritual. This is a physical thing, yet they treat it with spirituality,” he said.
He added that although health facilities, clinics and Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds were available in many communities, some residents still delayed seeking professional medical care.
Mr Faruk appealed to residents of Ada to seek timely medical attention for physical health conditions and avoid waiting until their conditions became critical.
He also appealed to prayer camps to refer people with physical health conditions to health facilities for appropriate assessment and treatment, saying early intervention could help prevent complications and reduce pressure on emergency departments.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Opesika Tetteh Puplampu, GNA