Dr. Baaba Damoah, President, Society of Family Physicians of Ghana (SOFPOG), has cautioned young people at Tarkwa and its environs against the misuse of pain killers, warning that excessive or unsupervised use of pain-relief drugs could cause serious kidney damage.
She stated that due to the type of work and the prevalence of illegal mining operations (Galamsey) in these areas, young people abused Tramadol and hard analgesics.
Dr. Damoah made the remarks in an interview with journalists at the Tarkwa main lorry station during a free medical outreach organised for residents of Tarkwa in the Western Region. The programme was a collaboration between AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine and the Society of Family Physicians of Ghana (SOFPOG).
She highlighted the health risks associated with the misuse of pain-relief drugs, warning that beyond kidney damage, excessive use could have wider adverse effects on the body.
Some essential health services the residents received included blood sugar and pressure checks, malaria testing, hepatitis B and C, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, dental and eye examination as well as Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) consultations.
Despite heavy rainfall, residents turned out in large numbers for the free medical outreach, with the medical team expected to attend to about 1,000 people by the end of the exercise.
Dr. Damoah explained that the screening identified both acute and chronic health conditions among some patients, while others were found to be in good health. She noted that this also provided an opportunity for extensive education on preventive healthcare.
According to her, the exercise formed part of activities marking this year’s World Family Doctor Day. She added that, as family doctors, the team came together for the outreach alongside their Annual General and Scientific Meeting scheduled to take place in Tarkwa.
She described the initiative as a way of giving back to the community and expressed gratitude to AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine for supporting the provision of free healthcare services to residents of Tarkwa and surrounding communities.
She further explained that SOFPOG has been operating in Ghana for nearly 20 years. The group, she said, is made up of medical doctors who, after completing medical school and serving in various capacities, return for specialist training to provide comprehensive care for patients of all ages and medical conditions.
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