In
the heat of the ongoing strike by the Ghana Medical Association, residents of
Ejisu Municipality in Ashanti had an opportunity to benefit from a free medical
outreach program.
About
300 men, women and children in the local communities received attention for
minor medical cases and also accessed some pharmaceutical products.
The
health support program was initiated by the Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank in
collaboration with the Ejisu Traditional Council, to commemorate the 2013 May
Day.
Specialists
from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Ejisu Government Hospital were at
hand to offer checks for diabetics, cholesterol level, breast cancer, blood
pressure, sight, among other ailments.
According
to Dr. Frank Nketia-Boakye, who led the medical team, about 15 percent of the
adult population screened suffered chronic diseases – hypertension and
diabetes.
He
observed that most patients were unaware of their conditions because “people don’t
usually undergo regular medical screening as part of our culture”.
He
has however called for a change in the practice, emphasizing that quarterly
check-up for medical status would promote good health.
The
May Day event included sporting activities, targeting corporate institutions,
professional bodies and the working populace within the Ejisu Municipality.
It
kicked off with a health walk involving the Ejisumanhene, Oguakro Afranie
Okesse IV, Municipal Chief Executive, Municipal Police Commander and other
heads of institutions.
The
theme was: “Healthy Living; a Key to Financial Independence”.
Board
Chairman of Yaa Asantewaa Rural Bank, Samuel Otoo, emphasized the bank’s focus
on health and sports as part of its corporate social responsibility projects to
contribute towards the upliftment and development of the community.
“We
need to impact on society no matter how many years we’ve been in existence; it
depends on the vision and the goals that you want to achieve”, he stated. “We
believe that when the people in the catchment area are healthy, they’ll spend
much less on medical bills and also they’ll be able to focus on their savings
to improve their lives”.
The
objective of the events, Mr. Otoo noted, is to build a healthy workforce as
well as offer a platform for socialization for good community living.
The
Yaa Asantewaa Rural bank plans to undertake regular health screening exercises
to keep the local communities in good health.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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