Tema, March 2, – Health professionals at the Tema General Hospital have urged the public to seek prompt medical evaluation for persistent coughs, warning that self-medication is contributing to delayed tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and continued transmission.
Mr Maxwell Nana Yaw Antwi, a health officer at the Chest Department of the hospital, said reluctance to report early symptoms remained a major obstacle in controlling TB.
“The greatest threat to our health is not the bacteria we can treat, but the silence we refuse to break,” he stated during a health education session.
The hospital, in partnership with Tema Industrial Mission Technical Institute, organised a health talk to sensitise students on TB prevention, early detection, and treatment.
Mr Antwi noted that many people trivialise persistent coughs and rely on over-the-counter cough syrups for temporary relief. He cautioned that a cough lasting two weeks or more should be treated as a medical red flag requiring professional testing.
He emphasised that tuberculosis testing and treatment services are provided free of charge at public health facilities, including the Tema General Hospital.
Mrs Afia Nsiah Sarfo, a Public Health Nurse and TB Coordinator at the hospital, explained that tuberculosis is an airborne disease that spreads easily in overcrowded and poorly ventilated environments. She warned that individuals with untreated TB could unknowingly infect others in shared spaces such as classrooms and homes.
Mrs Sarfo advised the public to avoid relying on chemical shops for chronic respiratory symptoms and instead visit accredited health facilities for proper diagnosis and management.
She stressed that tuberculosis is both preventable and curable with appropriate treatment, adding that early detection safeguards not only the affected individual but also the broader community.
GHBUSS
03 FEB 2026
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