New Mataheko residents undergo free health screening
More than 290 residents of New Mataheko at Ngleshie Amanfrom in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region at the weekend benefited from a free health screening exercise organised by the Chief of New Mataheko Nii Ayaa Armah I.
They were screened and given treatment for hypertension, blood sugar or diabetes, weight to check obesity, cardio vascular disease, malaria, general consultation, Voluntary Testing of HIV and AIDS, free eye screening and a talk on Non-Communicable Diseases.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, a Physician Assistant of the Ngleshie Amanfrom Polyclinic, Ms Emelia Asare Addo, reminded them of the need to continue to observe the COVID- 19 protocols since the disease was still prevalent.
She said about 23,000 new cases of HIV had been recorded from January to June this year, and therefore, advised the residents to be careful about their sexual life.
A staff of the Weija Gbawe Municipal National Health Insurance, Kwabena Gabby, said they observed that many people who came to the Health Screening had their Health Insurance Cards expired, but could not renew it due to financial constraints.
He explained that adults from 18 years to 69 years were supposed to pay GH¢ 27 to get their expired NHIS Cards renewed and persons within the same age group needed to pay GH¢30.00 to register for new Health Insurance.
He said children from age 0 to 17 years had to pay GH¢8 for a new card and GH¢5 for renewal for the same age group.
Mr Gabby, however, noted that for the replacement of the lost NHIS Cards everybody had to pay GH¢8, adding that it is free for pregnant women.
He said so many people had not registered for Ghana Card to be linked to NHIS to do so.
Mr Gabby said there were no recreation centres at Negleshie Amanfrom Divisional Area, and therefore appealed to the government and the traditional authorities to provide the area with recreational centres.
On his part, Nii Ayaa Armah I, who is also the Administrator of Ngleshie Amanfrom Customary Land Secretariat advised the residents to keep good sanitation to avoid mosquitoes and malaria and urged landlords against discharging liquid waste from their septic tanks on the roads in the night.
The Dzaasetse of Ngleshie Amanfrom Mataheko, Nii Dzaase Shiatse, noted that Typhoid fever was reported to be very common at Amanfro to Kasoa areas, and advised the people to be sensitive to neatness at all times, since the disease was associated with filth.
The Queenmother of Ngleshie Amanfrom Mataheko, popularly known as Kalabule area, Manye Dade I, noted the reintroduction of the work of the Environmental Health Officers formerly known as ‘tankassifuo’ or ‘nsamasamafuo’.
FROM BERNARD QUANSON, NEW MATAHEKO