| A few Christmas carols have finally managed to break through the airwaves. I get the feeling that no one wants to get caught “enjoying” Christmas while the majority of the country appears to be in no mood for the celebration. Even the décor this year appears to be scanty and who can blame us? The strain on many purses is real but there is much more to Christmas than food, drinks, music and merry making. The Christmas fever has over the past few days been ‘droned out’ by discussions on using technology to make “health” accessible to people in the remotest places of the motherland. So far all parties have valid points but with our scarce resources can we take a more holistic look at our health system and put structures in place so that at the appropriate time drones will come in to augment the system. Professor Frimpong Boateng has lived this before; when over two decades ago he virtually single-handedly pushed to set up a cardiothoracic centre, the argument was that we rather needed money to treat malaria and diarrhoeal diseases. What a difference the centre has made to many lives in Ghana and beyond. As we enjoy the love and spirit of giving that comes with this season, let us think about messages shared by friends and colleagues over a period of time. I am sure many will impact positively on our lives. “Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous new year. Eat wisely over the holidays. Remember to take a walk to visit two neighbours each day through the holidays. Dispose off your waste wisely and let us make our environment a cleaner place” –Harold Esseku, Sanitary Engineer “It’s the season of love. Let the only fire that burns be the fire of love and not domestic fires” –Victor Etwire, Paediatric Surgeon. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. “Christmas, the season to share with one another and enjoy great and mouth watering dishes. Don’t forget your fruits and vegetables. Sanitise your green leafy vegetables with vinegar to avoid food poisoning. Enjoy the season to the max” -Gifty Dufie Ampofo, Public Health Specialist. “As we celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus this Christmas let us make sure we cross over to the new year with all our loved ones. Be safe on the roads, avoid drinking and driving and teach the children to use Zebra Crossings when crossing roads. Merry Christmas! –Brenda Addo-Quarshie, Paediatric Doctor “As the Irish proverb says; a good laugh and a long sleep is better than medicine. May laughter and rest be the cure to all your ailments. Remember health means wealth!”-Anita Arthur, Human Resource Professional. “If you are on medication, please do not go on a drug holiday so that you can spend the money on pleasure. Remember these are not the last days of your life; you will be here in 2019. Do not start the new year with financial stress and complications of your illness”-Kojo Cobba Essel, Wellness Entrepreneur. “Santa has been the same size since inception because he loves to fit in his suits. Let’s all in the season of love adopt this model and watch our portions. Keep your teeth extra happy this season and remember to brush them appropriately.”-Josephine Opoku-Bekoe, Human Resource Professional. “The intergovernmental panel on Climate Change have reemphasized that climate change is ongoing and the impact will get worse if nothing is done. The situation looks dire but there is always a light of hope. More importantly as we celebrate the birth of Jesus let us be reminded that he came to help us resolve our most difficult situations.”- Ama Kwansima Essel, Climate Change Expert. As we unwrap our gifts this season remember that the first gift of Christmas did not come with pomp, neither was it wrapped yet it is the greatest gift a Father could ever give to his children; the gift of LOVE. Jesus was and is still that gift. This season seize the opportunity to boost your “happiness level” by giving especially to the less fortunate in society. I guarantee that such an act will make you more content and healthier. If no one is kind enough to give you a gift of an annual medical examination, please make it a point to reward all your labour with at least the basic medical tests below. AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI) Source: Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel (Health Essentials Ltd/St Andrews Clinic) *Dr. Kojo Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. Thought for the week – “During the holiday season remember to focus on Christ and catch up on sleep; sleep deprivation does not only make you accident-prone, it increases your risk of putting on extra fat and in addition may predispose you to conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure” |
