Nuffield Clinic visits B&FT to promote employee spine health awareness

By Sandra Agyeiwaa OTOO

Richmond Pius Ahiavih, a medical practitioner with Nuffield Clinic, has cautioned that poor posture and prolonged sitting are major causes of back-pain among workers, urging corporate organisations to adopt preventive measures that safeguard employee health and productivity.

He made this statement while visiting the Business & Financial Times (B&FT) in Accra as part of the clinic’s campaign launched in August to educate office staff on the effect of poor posture and its impact on the spine.

“The rationale behind it is that from in August we launched a campaign to educate corporate people on the effects of postures on their backs and how work affects the spine. So, we’ve been going through from office to office, educating them about it because we realised that in as much as we are doing the work, being very effective with our jobs, we do it at the expense of our spines,” he revealed.

Under the theme ‘Back pain and work-related injuries: how to prevent back-pain and work injuries at the office’, he pointed out that many employees spend huge sums of money treating back pain that could have been prevented through better posture and workplace ergonomics.

“Most times, we have people coming into our offices with back pain all because they sat for long, or didn’t know the postures to keep their bodies in; and they even went ahead going places they didn’t have to and created a problem – which they had to pay lots of money to treat. So, we decided that if we can help by making sure the problem is prevented, it would go a long way to actually help them save money and also stay healthy,” he noted.

He explained that slouching in chairs, working with computers below eye level, wearing high-heels more than three inches for more than four hours and adopting poor postures all contribute to spinal problems. He emphasised a need to keep the spine straight in every position when sitting, standing or lying down to preserve its natural alignment and ensure long-term health.

He urged managers to provide ergonomic chairs that promote healthy back posture and protect the spine, noting that the spine supports the entire body. When employees suffer back pain, productivity declines. Supplying proper chairs and desks, he emphasised, will prevent spinal issues and help staff remain healthy and effective.

Chief Executive Officer-Business and Financial Times (B&FT) Dr. Godwin Acquaye reaffirmed the company’s commitment to employee well-being, stressing that staff health is critical to productivity and sustainability.

“Employee health and wellness are at the very heart of our productivity and sustainability. As a media and communications company, our people are our greatest resource. When our staff are healthy, motivated and mentally balanced, the quality of our work improves, creativity thrives and deadlines are met efficiently. Wellness is not just an HR issue for us, it is a strategic business priority that directly impacts our ability to deliver value to our readers, partners and advertisers,” he revealed.

He added that: “We have instituted several initiatives aimed at fostering a safe and supportive workplace. These include regular health screenings in partnership with health facilities, ergonomic adjustments to minimise office-related injuries such as back-pain and eye-strain and flexible work arrangements to reduce stress. In addition, we have clear workplace safety protocols, health education sessions like todays and a confidential support system where staff can seek professional guidance on health or personal challenges”.

Dr. Acquaye stressed B&FT’s commitment to staff wellness, highlighting plans for employee assistance programmes, mental health counselling and a wellness calendar featuring health talks and fitness challenges. Strengthened medical insurance, he added, will support the vision of creating a resilient, healthy and high-performing workforce.

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