Nabdam residents benefit from free health screening
Residents of Nabdam in the Upper East Region have benefited from a four-day free health screening focused on non-communicable diseases.
The exercise, held at the Okanagan Community Clinic at Nyobok in the Nabdam District, was organised by the Ghana Rural Opportunities for Women (GROW) Project, a locally based non-profit organisation, in collaboration with the University of British Columbia, Okanagan.
A total of 246 residents from Nyobok and surrounding communities, including Nkunzesi, Kotintaabig, Daasang, Nangodi and Yakoti, participated in the programme.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times, the Nabdam District Health Promotion Officer, Robert Apambila, described the screening as vital for the early detection of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, malaria, typhoid and heart diseases.
He noted that early diagnosis would lead to better treatment outcomes, improved survival rates and effective long-term management of diseases.
“My impression is that this screening exercise will help reduce or prevent preventable deaths,” he said.
Mr Apambila commended the long-standing partnership between the GROW Project and the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, for prioritising the health needs of residents in the district for over a decade.
He added that such initiatives help prevent diseases from becoming severe, reduce complications and long-term medical costs, and encourage people to adopt healthier lifestyles.
However, he expressed concern about the low turnout.
“This is the fourth and final day, and the number of people who turned up is 246. The exercise targets everyone both young and old but many young people think that because they are not sick, nothing is wrong with them,” he said.
“We must educate people to understand that not feeling sick does not mean they are healthy.”
A Professor at the School of Nursing of the University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Jeanette Vinek, said the screening is organised every two years to support healthcare delivery in the district.
She attributed the initiative to the university’s relationship with its alumna, Vida Nyagre Yakong, who is also Chief Executive Officer of the GROW Project and a former Foundation Dean at the University for Development Studies.
Another lecturer, Muriel Kranabetter, said the team remained committed to supporting residents to live healthier lives and assisted those who could not afford medication.
She added that the team also donated a polytank to the clinic to improve water storage.
Beneficiaries, including Salomey Issah and Mobil Nyen-Yeya, praised the initiative.
Prof. Yakong disclosed that the team spent more than GH¢25,000 on laboratory tests, medicines, consumables and the polytank, and called for stronger partnerships to address development challenges in the area.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, NYOBOK
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