About 500 residents of Bukom and its environs have benefited from a free health screening exercise by the Ghana Muslim Mission (GMM), the Greater Accra Regional Muslim Council and the Rashia’s Foundation.
The exercise, which formed part of a corporate social responsibility of the mission to give back to both their customers and residents in its areas of operation.
Patrons were screened for diabetes, sugar levels, blood pressure, eye and dental diseases, malaria, hepatitis B, breast cancer, HIV and cholesterol.
Held simultaneously, the beneficiaries were screened and given free medication, while those identified with complications were referred to appropriate health facility for further diagnoses and care.
Present at the screening were the Imam for the Muslim Council, Imam Mohammed Tagoe, Regional PRO for the Greater Accra Regional Muslim Council, Nuhu Kofi, Imam for the Muslim missions, Imam Sheik Boye, students from the medical schools for UG, staff, workers, volunteers from the foundation and the Muslim Council Residents Bukom, Gamashie.
Screening
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman for the Muslim Missions, Nii Okai Aryee, said the purpose of the screening was to bring quality health delivery to the doorstep of the workers, entrepreneurs and residents living in Bukom and its environs.
He said the exercise was part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibility implemented in 2016 and meant to reach out to both young and old living in deprived communities and had little or no access to quality health care.
Health Status
A health officer at Korle Bu, Dr Lukman Ahmed Qiman, said there was the need for people to go for regular medical check-ups in order to know their health status.
He said early detection was the safest way to address complicated health issues, especially when most of the beneficiaries had no idea about their health status.
He, therefore, expressed the hope that the screening exercise would also reduce the number of sudden deaths associated with these common diseases.
He said a lot of Ghanaians had one or two medical conditions but lacked the necessary resources and time to undergo routine medical check-ups, adding that the exercise would enable them to know their health status and seek early treatment.
“Per the rough estimate of the diagnosis so far, hypertension is the highest and we will put the affected persons on immediate medication if need be”, he said.
A resident, Wellington Ezekiel, expressed his appreciation to the Muslim Mission for bringing healthcare delivery to the doorstep of residents.
He expressed the hope that the exercise would be extended to other deprived areas, stressing that other organisations would replicate such gestures.
Source: myghanadaily
