Dr. James Raymond Kofi Appiah-Kusi, Head of Koforidua Regional Hospital’s Internal Medicine Department and Diabetics Clinic, has urged Ghanaians to lead stress-free and simple lifestyles to prolong their lives.
   
He attributed the growing cases of non-communicable diseases – hypertension, stroke and diabetes, which were claiming more lives, to stress.
   
The situation, he noted, was being compounded by socio-economic challenges and advised that the people adopted positive attitude to life.
    
Dr. Appiah-Kusi was delivering a public lecture on the “burden of non-communicable diseases in contemporary times” as part of the activities marking the 90th anniversary of the hospital.
    
He pointed out that non-communicable diseases caused by lifestyle were avoidable.
    
He counseled the people to go for regular medical checkup and expressed worry that many had been walking about unaware that they were carrying these diseases.
   
Dr. Appiah-Kusi asked that they kept away from smoking and to reduce their intake of alcohol, salt and sugar.
    
They should rather eat more fruits and vegetables alongside physical exercises to stay healthy.
      
Dr. Kwame Anim Boamah, the Medical Director, identified hypertension, diabetes and stroke as the leading causes of death in the hospital over the last five years.
      
The facility had already organized a health outreach programme in the Koforidua municipality, during which, 1,500 people were screened for diseases, treated and given free drugs.
       
Dr. Sampson B. Offei, who chaired the function, appealed for its upgrading into a teaching hospital and the improvement of its facilities and equipment.