Over 800 people screened at Okyenhene health fair

Kyebi (E/R), Oct.4, GNA- Over 800 people from Kyebi and its environs have been screened for various ailments at a health fair organized at the forecourt of the Okyenhene Palace at Kyebi on Friday. The health fair formed part of activities to mark the 10th anniversary of the enstoolment of Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin as the Okyenhene.

The medical team that participated in the fair provided eye screening services, test for sugar levels in the blood,hypertension, weight and HIV/Aids Counseling and Testing services. Those found to have medical problems were referred to the medical facilities near their homes.

Speaking at a forum before the exercise, Mrs Margaret Atuahene of School of Public Health, University of Ghana and Nkosuohemaa of Akyem Apedwa, advised grown-ups regularly undertake house chores as form of exercise.

She explained that, walking to pick things from the kitchen, the bedroom or doing house chores like sweeping, washing dishes as well as their own clothes regularly were forms of exercise that could help reduce obesity, which is the cause of many health problems for adults.

"In modern Ghanaian homes, many families have house helps who do all the house chores while the over weight adults in the house only sit at one place and issue out instructions", she said. Mrs. Atuahene advised the people to reduce consumption of all types of oily and carbohydrate foods and explained that oil palm which many people in the rural communities use in cooking contain high cholesterol levels that could be dangerous to the health of the consumer. She advised the people not to be too bothered or emotional about issue to help reduce stress since that is the cause of many blood pressure conditions and urged adults to undergo regular health check to know their health status.

Nana Asabea Ofori Atta, wife of Okyenhene, who organized the programme, explained that she once organized a health talk for some chiefs and it generated a lot of interest among them and therefore decided to organize the programme to as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of her husband.

She said a healthy society started from the individual taking charge of his or her health needs and that of the immediate community. Nana Asabea said poor health affected not only the individual but the family, community and the nation as a whole. The public Relations Officer of the East Akim Municipal Health Insurance Scheme, Mr. Eugene Gyimah-Kroppah, said as at July this year, the scheme had registered 76,869 people which represented 73.5 per cent of the population.

He said one of the challenges facing the scheme was the high level of malaria which formed 70 per cent of the Out Patients Department Cases in the Municipality and therefore called on all to support environmental cleanliness of the Municipality to reduce malaria infections. 04 Oct. 09