Kumasi-based journalists urged to enlighten people on medication safety
A non-profit organisation, Shared Blessing Alliance (SBA) has urged Kumasi-based journalists to educate residents about medication safety.
The organization said that inaccurate information about health-related issues has caused unavailable death and that immediate action is required.
Isaac Awuah Mensah, the organization’s executive director stated that the media has a propensity to shape people’s attitudes as a result of the trust that it has built up over time.
This, he believed, underscored the importance of using the media to inform the public about the need to take medication safety seriously in order to prevent untimely deaths.
Isaac said, “the media is a crucial tool that a lot of people listen to them, and there are a lot of things that happen on the radio, so we’re drawing the attention of our media people who are very vibrant in our part of the world to the fact that they should also take this up and then educate the general public on medication safety.”
He continued by saying that some of the deaths of mothers, fathers, parents, and even children are attributed to the medications they take.
In order to avoid further complications or fatalities, he also urged the general public to be cautious about the medications they take and to always seek medical advice.
“Before taking any medications, know the name of the drug, the dosage that you must take, the time you must take it, and if you have any complaints or complications, please see your doctor or ask your prescriber to educate you on that,” he explained.
Godwin Asamoah Baah, a medical professional, urged media organizations to always thoroughly examine some herbal preparations before allowing them on their platforms rather than focusing solely on the financial aspect.
He pointed out that although some herbal remedies are unsafe for human consumption, they occasionally receive media attention.
“Sometimes they will give you one particular drug and they will tell you that, this drug is for this but it does 10 other things, because they tell you that they have added other herbs, plenty and plenty of herbs, I don’t know how they prove that but I think that they should tell us the complete truth about the medication. I think before somebody comes on the radio, I think that the media should also do a little background check on the medication. After the media had done a background check on the medication and they think it is right, then they should bring it, they should let the person come and talk about it and what the person is saying they should make sure that it is the truth,” he alluded.
The event organised by World Patients Alliance, according to some journalists who attended, was very educational, and they plan to share the information with their audience to promote health.
They also gave advice to various media outlets on how to make sure the public is given accurate health information.
Source: Ghana News
