Majority of Ghanaians have no knowledge of their medical histories-Pharmacist

A pharmacist and healthcare professional Pharm Daniel Hevi, has asserted that the number of Ghanaians who are cognizant of their medical histories is alarmingly low.

Pharm Hevi in an interview with FOCUS FM’s Maame Adwoa Brembah on the topic of Adverse Health Reactions said that knowing one’s medical history is a responsibility of both health care providers and their clients or patients.

He expounded his assertion saying that one of the core responsibilities of healthcare providers is to ensure that their patients or clients are in the know with regards to their medical histories. Nonetheless, patients must also care to have knowledge of their medical histories. The pharmacist urged patients to make inquiries of their medical histories from healthcare providers whenever the need to visit healthcare facilities arises. He emphasized that proper knowledge of one’s medical history both by the patient and healthcare professional is a determinant of what drugs are to be administered.

According to the pharmacist, Ghana as a developing country lacks a proper record system of patients’ medical histories. This has as a result posed a disadvantage of communication barriers between healthcare experts over the medical histories of patients hence the need for patients themselves to be aware of their medical histories at every point in time.

“In a situation where you have to be moved from one town to another, where it isn’t the same healthcare professional who is seeing to you, in that case you as the patient should be responsible to know your medical history. For instance: you should know the sort of underlying medical conditions you have because the new medical professional taking over may not have the privilege of having your folder or file to assess it.” he said.

He said that healthcare experts are ensuring that healthcare paradigms become more patient-centered to give patients the reassurance that they could make inquiries regarding their medical histories.

– Maame Adwoa Brembah