Inguinal hernia represents a significant cause of morbidity in Ghana, frequently resulting in high emergency cases due to delays in treatment.
Dr Godfred Owusu, General Surgeon at Ankaase Methodist Faith Hospital, who stated this, said numerous hernia complications could be attributed primarily to a lack of regular check-ups at hospitals and stressed the need for individuals to visit healthcare facilities regularly for assessment.
He was speaking to the Ghana News Agency during a free screening and surgical treatment for some hernia patients at the facility in Ankaase, the Afigya-Kwabre South district of Ashanti.
The exercise is being organised by the Methodist Health Trust to offer hernia treatment and intervention for people with such conditions in all its health facilities at Ankaase, Aburaso and Apagya hospitals.
Over 800 patients have benefited from the exercise at the three health facilities so far.
The hernia intervention exercise, which began about three years ago by the Methodist Health Trust, aims to assist individuals with chronic hernia cases, thereby alleviating the backlog of patients who need surgical interventions.
Dr Owusu pointed out that the exercise, which was initially scheduled for one week, had to be extended to one month due to the high number of people seeking treatment.
The initiative, he said, aimed to enhance healthcare access for economically disadvantaged persons with such conditions, while helping to alleviate the burden of hernia-related conditions in Ghana.
He expressed satisfaction that all surgeries conducted so far have been successful, and remained hopeful that all other surgeries would be successful.
Gloria Agyeiwaa Osei Boateng, the Nurse Manager at the facility, advised against the use of unverified herbal concoctions to cure hernia, adding that the continued reliance on such remedies could complicate conditions, thereby rendering surgical procedures more challenging
As of March 6, 2026, the Ankaase Methodist Hospital alone has performed over 200 surgeries for patients, while the Aburaso and Apagya Hospitals have also recorded commendable numbers of surgeries.
About 30 per cent of the procedures were conducted on females.
Mrs Osei Boateng appealed to the government, through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to fully subsidise the costs of hernia treatment for individuals suffering from the condition.
Many patients who underwent the surgeries expressed their gratitude to the Methodist Health Trust for the opportunity and hope that such initiatives would continue to benefit others in the future.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com