The story of how a doctor gave KODA wrong medication for eight months
A video of the late gospel singer, KODA narrating his ordeal for taking wrong medication for almost a year has gone viral hours after his demise.
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The video which was a live session of KODA with his fans had the latter tell the horrific story of a doctor giving him wrong medication which he took for eight months.
KODA revealed that in 2015, he was taken to a big hospital in Takoradi by his wife and sister when he had some health challenges one evening.
He was admitted that evening until the next day when a doctor came to prescribe some drugs and discharged him after two days to return for regular checkups.
However, he realised that his body reacted very funny to the medication any time he took it until one day, he decided to google the components of the medicine and found to his horror that it contained Sulphur, which he wasn’t supposed to take because of his G6PD(Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) deficiency condition.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is a genetic disorder that affects red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body. In affected individuals, a defect in an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase causes red blood cells to break down prematurely.
People with the condition aren’t supposed to take certain kinds of medication including Sulphur so taking the said medication meant his life was at risk of health complications.
Hear him, “I get a little emotional when I talk about this thing. We scheduled a checkup with the doctor and I told the doctor that, ‘but why am I being given medication that contains sulphur? If I'm G6PD? Because you know that we are not supposed to be taking these things and you guys are aware.
“To cut a long story short, all they said was, ‘oh, sorry and then they started being a bit defensive. I don't know, I don’t remember exactly who, but somebody who was part of the medical team that was taking care of me said, ‘but you have also being to school, can’t you talk when a wrong medication is given to you?’
“And all of a sudden, it was like some blame shifting was coming into the thing that, hey, I am old enough to know when I'm being given wrong medication. So this was my resolve since that day. I will not disrespect nurses or disrespect pharmacists. I will not disrespect doctors, but I can't take your word for it anymore.
“When I'm given something, I want to Google it myself. I want to find out. When I come and sit in front of you, I will not be quiet. I will talk. I will tell you that, hey, my guy, I'm G6PD. I pray you are not giving me anything that will harm me or I'm not supposed to be on.
“And it will sound like, yes, you are being all over the place. You are being too known as we used to say in my primary school, but it will save me from being a guinea pig,” he said in the video. (Related articles: Gospel singer KODA is dead, KODA: Here are some popular songs marking his legacy)
The video has gained lots of attention on social media, igniting relevant dialogues about the importance of patient advocacy and the risks of medical errors.
KODA is reported to have died in the early hours of Sunday, April 21, 2024 after battling an undisclosed illness.
The 45-year-old left behind his wife and three children.
Even though he was widely known as a singer, KODA was equally a reputable songwriter, music producer, and talented multi-instrumentalist and was the pride of Takoradi.
Watch video below: