Staff of New Times Corporation (NTC) on Friday benefitted from a free health screening exercise in Accra.
The exercise was aimed at determining risk factors of hypertension among media workers in the Greater Accra Region.
Beneficiaries were educated and sensitised on its risk factors, symptoms and the way forward if diagnosed with the ailment.
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.
Abigail Brago Ofosuhene, a researcher at the School of Public Health, Legon, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, said the idea emanated from the death of two renowned broadcasters, Kwadwo Asare Baffour Acheampong and Komla Dumor who died from cardiovascular disease at a very tender age.
She said hypertension was a dominant risk factor of cardiovascular diseases and accounted for 7.1 million deaths globally and the fourth cause of outpatient morbidity in 2016.
Ms Ofosuhene said the media reported on daily activities of the country ranging from health, politics, and corruption, but, finds no time to visit the hospital regularly.
“Many of us are aware that hypertension is often without symptoms or signs (silent killer) and the only way to know, if you have high blood pressure, is to spend a few minutes of your precious time having a professional check of your blood pressure.
“Increased blood pressure is the leading risk for death and disability globally as highlighted in the recent global burden of disease study and emphasised by the World Health Organisation at World Health Day celebrations.
“Irrespective of the way you feel, even if your blood pressure has always been normal, even if you are too busy or too tired or you exercise daily so you do not think it is necessary, no matter the well-rehearsed excuse you may come up with, kindly do us a favour by checking your blood pressure often,” Ms Ofosuhene advised.
BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY
