First batch of Alive Health Check Officers pass out

Three-hundred beneficiaries have been enrolled as the first batch of Alive Health Check officers after a three-day intensive training in Accra.

Alive Health Check is the latest health module to be introduced under the Ghana Youth Employment Entrepreneur Development Agency (GYEEDA) programme.

The module seeks to promote preventive healthcare through regular health screening and education to help reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare facilities.

The officers were drawn from various districts within the Greater Accra Region. It was organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Alive Pharmacy, the implementing agency for the Alive Health Check Module.

The officers were trained on how to conduct blood pressure testing, sugar level testing; and measure body mass index. They were also trained to provide counseling to the public on how to adopt healthy lifestyles to increase their lifespan.

As part of their training assessment, the officers were dispatched to undertake various health checks exercises within the Ministries area in Accra.

The National Coordinator of Alive Health Check, Mr. Fred Frimpong said the module was designed to improve access to better healthcare and create employment for the youth.

Mr. Frimpong said the module will help to reduce the rate of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular infections which accounts for 30 per cent of all morbidities in the country’s hospital.

He said over 10,000 youth will be employed under the module in the next two years adding that “this will help to reduce the high rate of youth employment in the country.

He said the officers will be resourced with the needed equipment as well as stationed at vantage points within communities to offer their services to the public.

Mr. Frimpong charged the beneficiaries to maintain their equipment; refrain from selling them and avoid truancy to help sustain the initiative.

Mr. Kofi Adusei, Leader for training who is also the Programme Manager at the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Department of the Ministry of Health said the training was to enable the officers to acquire the skills needed to perform basic health checks.

Mr. Adusei praised the performance of the officers after training and said “they are ready to go to the field to offer their services”.

He used the occasion to appeal to the public to access the health check services in order to know their health statuses and protect their health.

The Director in Charge of Administration at GYEEDA Honourable Roger Abolimbisa said the introduction of the module is to ensure that more youth are absolved under the programme.

He said government recognizes that a healthier human resource was critical to help Ghana achieve her Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He believed that the module will help Ghanaians to embrace preventive healthcare to further develop and strengthen the human resource base of the country.

“The new module will therefore augment the provision of healthcare service by bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian for free”, he stressed.