Tema-Ghana, April 15, CDA Consult – Emergency Medicine Physician has cautioned parents and caregivers against the practice of pouring cold water on kids who have high temperatures.
Dr. Barbara Ayesha Anawana Karbo, Emergency Medicine Physician and Director of the Accident and Emergency Department at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) stated that using cold water could cause shocks in the kids and suggested that tepid (lukewarm) water be used instead.
Dr. Karbo gave the caution at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!” meeting. A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office effort aiming at increasing health-related communication and establishing a means for the dissemination of health information in order to affect personal health choices by improving health literacy.
“Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility!” is a public health advocacy platform launched by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office to investigate the four techniques of health communication: informing, educational, persuasive, and prompting.
Dr. Karbo, who spoke on the topic of “First aid at home and basic life support,” emphasized that sponging a kid should be done from the feet or legs rather than the head, as this could result in shocks and seizures.
The IMaH Accident and Emergency Specialist said that the nerves in the head were more sensitive than those in the body, which could result in convulsions, which could be harmful to the child’s health.
Dr. Karbo stated that every home with children under the age of 12 must have first aid supplies, including syrup and suppository paracetamol, which they must give to the kid after lowering the temperature with watering and thereafter visit a health facility with the kid.
She went on to say that even after lowering the temperature and administering paracetamol, the youngster should be taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation in order to determine the cause and receive proper treatment.
She also advised the people to acquire some basic first aid and life support techniques in order to save their own lives and the lives of their family and friends.
Dr. Karbo observed that 60 percent of people who received some type of assistance in an emergency before arriving at hospitals survived.
According to Mr. Francis Ameyibor, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency Tema, “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” is part of a collaborative effort to establish a means of disseminating health information in order to influence individual health decisions by increasing health literacy.
He also mentioned that it intends to employ Ghana News Agency’s and medical experts’ communication skills to inform the public that everyone’s health is vital and should be prioritized.
Mr. Ameyibor remarked that the health of parents should be a priority for children, as well as the health of employees and employers, the general public, and health professionals.
He recognized that everyone must be involved in order to develop a healthy society.
According to Mr. Ameyibor, in order to have a healthy society, everyone must be concerned about the well-being of others.
The weekly health dialogue platform, according to Mr. Ameyibor, will also be used as a useful channel of communication for health specialists to educate the public about healthy behaviours and other general health concerns.
