{"id":94897,"date":"2015-03-02T05:50:14","date_gmt":"2015-03-02T05:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=94897"},"modified":"2015-03-02T10:24:31","modified_gmt":"2015-03-02T10:24:31","slug":"dumsor-through-the-doctors-stethoscope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/03\/dumsor-through-the-doctors-stethoscope\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Dumsor’ through the Doctor\u2019s stethoscope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Frustration! That is the only word that could come to mind as I sat in the darkness, swatting mosquitoes from the dimly lit screen of my laptop, attempting, without success, to write my next article for publication on citifmonline.com<\/strong>. Four straight days without electricity is just frustrating. When almost every activity requires some amount of electrical energy, even 24hrs without power is a disaster in my household. This set me wondering: How is our fragile healthcare system coping with the power crisis? And I didn\u2019t have to ask around long to appreciate the gravity of the problem.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”vIguWTGewxw1dx71DPg5VG97ellTXx7d”]The effect of this dumsor on the health sector is two- pronged; it is stifling the business of health delivery, while at the same time increasing the demand for health care services.<\/p>\n

Hospital administrators are out of sorts with the cost of operating a health facility nowadays. Clinics and small (4 to 5 bed) hospitals are spending in the region of three thousand cedis a week on fuel to power their generators. Bigger facilities may be spending this much per day, per department. Expenditure on maintenance is also soaring, considering that the dumsor is causing more machines to break down, from x-ray machines to the generators themselves. Expensive reagents for laboratory work are going waste due to the power outages. The cold-chain for certain drugs is becoming virtually impossible to maintain.<\/p>\n

But while health facilities are fighting tirelessly to stay in business, a more sinister problem is brewing; a health crisis looms.<\/p>\n

Food preservation is becoming difficult due to the erratic power supply- cold stores will therefore refreeze rotten fish and the restaurateur will serve near-putrefied coleslaw. The result is an upsurge in the number of cases of diarrheal diseases in our hospitals.<\/p>\n

Our national immunization program is at risk of failure. Just one protracted dumsor and an entire batch of vaccines is destroyed. How is the community health worker in that remote village coping? His freezer is probably the only one for tens of kilometers. How will he store these vaccines?<\/p>\n

Our warm climate makes a night without artificial ventilation unbearable. Opening windows will invite mosquitoes in, while shutting them means one will endure a sleepless night of unbearable heat. The mosquitoes will cause malaria and the lack of sleep will be a recipe for work place injuries from tired workers.<\/p>\n

In our hospitals surgical operations are being indefinitely postponed because of dumsor, ventilators and incubators have become white elephants because of dumsor, blood and blood products are expiring early because of dumsor, critical diagnostic tests cannot be done because of dumsor.<\/p>\n

How are diabetics on refrigerated insulin coping? They may be injecting drugs rendered impotent by a protracted power outage. All drugs that need refrigeration have become potential hazards.<\/p>\n

Domestic accidents are on the increase because of dumsor: children sustaining severe burns from lit candles, couples dying unpardonable deaths from generator smoke inhalation, houses burning to the ground from dumsor-linked infernos.<\/p>\n

People who have lost their jobs are frustrated- these people will crowd the hospitals with physical manifestations of their psychological stress. Some will come in depressed, some with suicidal ideation.<\/p>\n

Our healthcare system is gradually being stretched to its elastic limit.<\/p>\n

We are all aware that the definitive solution to this crisis is increasing our generation mix and we leave that to the leaders of our dear nation, current and future, to work out. In the meantime, I recommend that the government provides some form of reprieve to the hospitals; subsidized fuel for these facilities will be a good start.<\/p>\n

Moving forward, tertiary health facilities like Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals, and all regional hospitals should have dedicated lines from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), and should be spared during such crises, no matter how dire the situation is. Plunging such institutions into darkness for any length of time is a matter of national security. Also, partial or total power independence should be aimed at for all health facilities; if all clinics and hospitals had adequate solar power, our problem would be half-solved.<\/p>\n

But while we wait for solutions, we should not lose sight of the fact that the ultimate responsibility of safeguarding our health and ensuring our safety lies in our individual hands. Here are a few ways to protect ourselves through the crisis.<\/p>\n

While we all source for alternatives to energy from the ECG, we should be careful in handling these options: do not refuel your generator while it is still running, do not leave an open flame (from a candle) unattended and keep kerosene and other liquid fuels safely stowed so children don\u2019t accidentally drink them. Additionally, any smoke-producing machines, especially generators, are to be operated outdoors.<\/p>\n

Without refrigeration, food preservation is difficult. As such, don\u2019t cook in bulk if you know you will not have a reliable source of power to keep it fresh. Be careful where you eat; if you can\u2019t vouch for the salad, don\u2019t eat it.<\/p>\n

Actively prevent mosquito bites. If you open your windows, make sure you sleep in a mosquito net. Keep your trap door closed, use an insecticide spray or mosquito repellent and drain all stagnant water to keep those bloodsuckers at bay.<\/p>\n

If the heat is unbearable, buy a rechargeable fan if you can afford it; a restful night is imperative for a productive day.<\/p>\n

Where possible ask your doctor to switch you to a drug that does not require refrigeration.<\/p>\n

Identify any hazards that may be present at home. Do not leave toys, stools, equipment and other objects lying around, especially in the path of walking; you can trip on them in the dark and severely injure yourself.<\/p>\n

If you think this crisis is stressing you out or making you depressed, talk to someone; Your physician, a psychiatrist, an elder, a counsellor, someone. It is the first step to healing.<\/p>\n

Adversity excites ingenuity. While we wait for Ghanaian ingenuity to kick in and solve our precarious energy situation (permanently), let\u2019s stay safe. It\u2019s for our own good.<\/p>\n

–<\/p>\n

Writer: Dr. Kojo Nimako <\/strong><\/p>\n

Email: kojotwumnimako@gmail.com <\/strong><\/p>\n

Twitter: @KTNimako<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Frustration! That is the only word that could come to mind as I sat in the darkness, swatting mosquitoes from the dimly lit screen of my laptop, attempting, without success, to write my next article for publication on citifmonline.com. Four straight days without electricity is just frustrating. When almost every activity requires some amount of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":69253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[15,38],"yoast_head":"\n'Dumsor' through the Doctor\u2019s stethoscope - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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