NGO holds health screening for Gbetsile community

Gbetsile, June 07, GNA- The Progressive Free Health Service (PFHS), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), based in Ghana, has organised a free medical screening programme for the people of Gbetsile and its environs in the Tema Metropolis.

About 800 people from the crop and livestock community, benefited from the week-long programme, which focused on the counselling on hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS as well as general health practices. The NGO was assisted in the exercise by some trainee nurses from the Narh-Bitah hospital, a private hospital in Tema and a US based Volunteer Physician, Dr Adrienne Charles. Speaking to the GNA at the programme, Mrs Maryann Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the PFHSm who is also a Physician Assistant in the US, said the NGO was moved by the plight of the underprivileged and decided to assist the people to enable them to know their health status. She said the programme, which was the first in a series to be undertaken, concentrated on the selected diseases because those were the silent killer diseases, which most people are unaware off yet they live with it.

Mrs Darko expressed the preparedness of the NGO to visit the country again to assess the situation and continue with the programme, which aimed at encouraging the communities to be conscious of their health status. During the programme, those found needing immediate medical attention were referred to hospital. Most of the beneficiaries, who were diagnosed of having hypertension and diabetes expressed their shock, saying that, they did not know of it to enable them visit the hospital. They expressed their gratitude to the NGO for the exercise and urged them to "come again to continue with the offer". Mrs Darko later distributed pamphlets on the diseases, which explained their symptoms and causes and urged the beneficiaries to read and arm themselves with the knowledge and attend hospital when they experience any of the symptoms to avoid complications. The fliers enumerated some of the symptoms of diabetes as frequent urination, extreme hunger, fatigue, paleness and weight loss, while the causes of hypertension were obesity, alcoholism, high cholesterol and excessive intake of salt as well as too much stress, ageing and depression.

Ms Phylicia A. Mortey, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Optimum Development Impact, which coordinated the programme, said it would be extended to benefit less privileged communities as they were the target group. Nii Kwaku Teye, Chief of Gbetsile, expressed appreciation to the NGO and said he would embark on educational programme to encourage the communities to seek regular medical examinations to know their health status. He however, appealed to the volunteers to consider coming along with medications for the people on their next visit. 07 June 08