MANY of us are guilty of the practice of self-medication/self-administering treatment. The slightest complaint, especially of headache and cold, see many of us running to the drug shops, to buy all kinds of drugs for these types of ailments.
IT is even common for people to all of a sudden deduce that one is down with malaria after a complaint of feeling cold and severe headache. This has been so because such symptoms are synonymous with malaria.
IN fact, the practice of self-administering treatment for physical or psychological ailments has become a part of us that we see nothing wrong insofar us sometimes our efforts pay off.
BUT, obviously, that is not the right thing to do! Of course, there are situations that one can give First Aid. And even in such circumstances, we are taught on what drugs to administer when people complain of diseases like a headache among other minor cases.
TO begin with, we must bear in mind that we are not doctors when we decide to administer drugs. Therefore, we must be extra-mindful when we enter the realm of administering.
IN cases that we do not have any inkling it is best we send such patients to a hospital/clinic for proper diagnosis and medical attention. Therefore, Today concurs with the call by Health Aids Medicare (HAM), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), comprising doctors of different specialties, that we should the practice of self-medication.
AND like they pointed out in their story captured on the front page of our paper today, self-medication comes with its own consequences, which could be inimical to a patient.
ADDRESSING the participants after the exercise, President of Health Aids Medicare, Dr Godfred Carlos Ofori, warned Ghanaians against the practice of self-medication, especially when they notice slight headache without seeking proper medical attention.
ACCORDING to the President of HAM, Dr Godfred Carlos Ofori, the practice also has the potential of worsening the healthcare condition of practitioners. This, we believe, is very crucial for practitioners of self-medication!
THAT is why the first port of call when people complain of various ailments should be a health centre and not to take things into our own hands and begin to behave as doctors, nurses etc. When we do that we put the lives of such patients at high risk.
Source: Today
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