MOH/GHS, NGOs offer free medical care at Winneba

Winneba, C/R, Jan 16, GNA - The Ministry of Health (MOH) and Ghana Health Service (GHS) on Friday and Saturday offered free medical services to more than 1200 people at Winneba in the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District.

Some of the diseases treated were stroke, diabetic, arthritis, hypertension and malaria among adults and Kwashiorkor, anaemia, diarrhea and respiratory infections among the children. Three emergency cases were referred to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Dr Gladys Ashitey, Deputy Minister of Health who led the team told newsmen at Winneba that the two-day exercise cost over 150 million cedis.

Dr Ashitey who is also MP for Lodzokuku in the Greater Accra Region said the exercise started in 1998, was a collaboration with the Medical Mission and the Anglican Health Professionals Guild, both Non-Governmental Organisations and the MOH and the GHS. She stated that last year a team made up of Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, Medical Assistants and paramedical staff went to the Upper West and Northern Regions and treated over 2065 adults and children free of charge and said the Ashanti Region would soon benefit from the programme.

The Deputy Minister said the exercise would continue in spite of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and appealed to the people to register with the scheme to enable them to enjoy quality health care. Mr Samuel Owusu Adjei, MP for the area and also a Deputy Minister of Health, said the outreach programme was "To bring health-care to the door steps of the people".

He said the programme would be extended to villages in the constituency and urged the people not to wait to fall before thinking of their health and to register for NHIS.