GFGF organises medical screening for Brahabobom community
The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has organised a free medical outreach for Brahabobom, a host community in the Tarkwa – Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.
The programmes sought to ensure quality health care for all and enable the community members to know their health status towards living a healthy lifestyle.
Health personnel, supported by beneficiaries of GFGF scholarship scheme at the event, screened and tested patients for malaria, blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index and the eye care.
The programmme detected that during the screening of over 500 people there were prevalent malaria in children, respiratory infections and blood pressure in some patients.
Participants also received urgent eye treatment with some given medications while others were referred to seek medical attention at other health facilities.
In an interview with the media at Brahabobom on Saturday, the Executive Secretary of GFGF, Mr Abdel- Razak Yakubu, explained that health screening was a valuable resource for early detection of illnesses.
It also sought to protect the individual against potential risks that might lead to complications, he said.
“The GFGF interventions in our host communities are not just bits and pieces, everything is linked. When we give scholarships, for example, for health students, we have a vision that one day, the beneficiaries will come out of school and also give back to the community,” he added.
Mr Yakubu reported that the Foundation had invested over GH¢130,000 in acquiring medicines and paying stipends to volunteers involved in the outreach programme.
This significant investment, he stated, underscored the Foundation’s dedication to improving the health and well-being of the people in its host communities.
A medical officer at Tarkwa Mines Hospital, Dr Antoinette Atta Hasford, advised elderly people who were diabetic and hypertensive to take their medication.
She urged caregivers and family members to encourage the patients to take their medication.
“The success of this year’s medical outreach is a clear indication of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in its host communities through coordinated and impactful initiatives,” Dr Hasford stated.
Nana Adjoa Baawah I of Apinto Brahabobom, applauded Gold Fields Ghana Foundation for their efforts in bringing healthcare to the doorstep of the people.
She noted that the initiative was first time of such an inclusive healthcare service GFGF had provided in the area and was glad that many people received free medications.
She prayed that the Foundation organised the medical outreach every quarter in order to enable individuals who could not access medical attention at the hospital because of financial constraints to benefit from the initiative.
A scholarship beneficiary, Margaret Edu-Bofuo, a final year student at the Tarkwa Midwifery School, expressed appreciation to GFGF for the support and in fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse, adding that, “without their intervention, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, BRAHABOBOM
