Klagon residents undergo free health screening

Three hundred residents of Klagon and its environs within the Tema West Constituency have benefited from a medical outreach programme organised by the Blue Cross Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the welfare of the aged.

The beneficiaries were educated about diabetes, malaria, and hypertension tests; and were offered free medication, as well as educated on the importance of living a healthy life.

The exercise was conducted by a medical team comprising pharmacists, nurses, laboratory technicians and doctors drawn from the LEKMA Hospital, under the sponsorship of OLAM Biscuits, Radio One and Ahotor FM, a radio station based at Lashibi.

Ms Faustina Gyimah, Founder and President of Blue Cross Foundation, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the exercise aimed at providing free quality health care to the aged within the neighborhood to mark the Valentine’s Day Celebration.

She explained that Blue Cross Foundation embarked on such exercises for the aged in deprived communities, adding “with Valentine’s Day as an occasion to show love, it is appropriate to put smiles on the faces of senior citizens in society as most of them lack the funds to cater for their health needs”.

Ms Gyimah appealed to benevolent individuals, churches and organisations who have compassion for the aged, to financially support the activities of the Foundation, stating that “all and sundry must be responsible for the welfare of the aged”.

Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tema, who donated five boxes of bottled water to support the outreach programme, told the GNA that government had embarked on a number of projects to make healthcare affordable for the aged.

Mr Odamtten commended the Foundation and its sponsors for the initiative; adding that “if we can sustain activities like this; we will be helping to build a healthier family and a healthier community to support the transformational agenda of government”.

Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, former Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said caring for the aged and less privileged in the country, was a social responsibility, and that had been a motivation to support the Blue Cross to embark on similar exercises across various deprived communities.

He said putting smiles on the faces of the aged by offering free health care and refreshment, was one of the means of showing love on Valentine Day.