Catholic health trainees to hold maiden zonal congress

The federation of Ghana Catholic health trainees will hold it's maiden zonal congress this year to be marked by activities by various zones of the federation between March an April. The congress which on the theme " Diabetes and Hypertension Control: A Prerequisite for a Healthy Nation", will be characterised by a health screening and public education on diabetes and hypertension.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, the National Vice President of the federation, Miss Ruth Aggor said this year's congress unlike the national congress will be held in various parts of the country with different activities but will have health screening and public education exercises as a constant throughout the zones.

"The 2017 congress will be held at the zonal level and will be at four different locations with different activities but the various zonal congresses has a national theme which is Diabetes and Hypertension Control: A Prerequisite for a Healthy Nation. Another thing we are excited about is the fact that there is going to be health screening and sensitisation exercises on diabetes and hypertension. We have made this our focus because these two diseases are taking alot of productive lives. Unfortunately these deaths are preventable," she said

Zone 1 of the federation will have it's congress from 21st to 23rd April at St Louis JHS in Bolgatanga and will be hosted by the Navrongo nursing training college, zones 2 & 3 will be hosted by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital supported by the College of Health, Kintampo from 28th to 30th April at Christian Village, Santasi, Kumasi. Zone 4 will have it's congress hosted by the college of community health nursing, Winneba from 31st March to 2nd April and the zone 5 congress will be held at the University of Health and Allied Sciences from 7th to 9th April in Ho.

The Federation of Ghana Catholic Health Trainees (FGCHT) is a national body within the Catholic Church, comprising Catholic health trainees in institutions in all the ten regions of Ghana: Medical and Dental Schools, Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges, Schools of Hygiene, Rural Health Training Schools, Schools of Allied Health Sciences, as well as Pharmacy, Optometry and Nutrition Students.

Its formation was hugely facilitated by His Grace: Most Reverend Thomas Mensah Of blessed memory, Dr. Gilbert Buckle and Dr. J.B Wilson. She had Dr. Amoako Duah as her first president. The first congress of the federation was held in 2003 at Korle-Bu.

It presently runs under the auspices of the Department of Health at the Ghana

National Catholic Secretariat and is an affiliate group to the International Movement of Catholic Student (IMCS) –Pax Romana. The Federation has Most Reverend Emmanuel Kofi Fianu (Episcopal president of Health and Bishop of Ho Diocese) as her Chief

Patron.