Members of the public have been advised to have regular screening for Tuberculosis (TB) as the disease in some cases presents no symptoms.
According to the TB coordinator of the Okaikoi Sub-Metro Health Directorate, Ms Haphsheitu Yahaya, in some cases, coughing was a major sign of the disease however there were many cases where sufferers of the disease showed no sign of cough at all but had very advanced TB.
She therefore stressed the need for regular screening adding that TB was easily curable when detected early.
The TB coordinator gave the advice over the weekend when the Ashanti Foam Factory Limited, popularly known as Ashfoam Ghana Limited, a leading brand in furniture manufacturing in Ghana organised a free health screening exercise within the Okaikoi Sub-Metro, over the weekend.
It was in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Accra-Dzorwulu and the Okaikoi Sub-Metro Health Directorate.
The exercise, which was organised as part of activities to mark the World Tuberculosis (TB) Day saw more than 300 persons getting screened for ailments including TB, blood pressure, malaria and COVID-19.
It also saw beneficiaries go through nutritional counseling while persons who had not yet received their COVID-19 jabs and boosters were also vaccinated.
President of the Rotary Club of Accra Dzorwulu Mr Kwame Odoi-Agyarko in an interview with the Ghanaian Times during the exercise stated that his outfit decided to support the initiative because of its focus on disease prevention and the promotion of healthy living among the populace.
He stated that because TB easily spreads when people are in close contact, persons working in factories needed to protect themselves often and also undergo regular screening.
“Ashfoam has been partners with us for about eight years now and that is why we again decided to support them for this free health screening exercise. We strongly believe that together we can end TB in Ghana,” he added.
Marketing Communications Manager, Ashfoam Ghana Limited, Mr Joe Ampem-Darko Antwi for his part said health delivery was a major priority for his outfit, as only healthy individuals could give off their best when it comes to carrying out their responsibilities at work.
However, he said Ashfoam decided to reach out to the Okaikoi Health Directorate for support because they wanted to reach more people within the metropolis for the free health screening exercise, considering the impact diseases, especially TB, could have on lives, left undetected.
He described TB as a deadly disease adding that asymptomatic TB even made it more scary and dangerous, as it could silently progress and get very serious.
A beneficiary of the exercise, 30 year old BismarkAzila expressed gratitude to Ashfoam Ghana for the opportunity and called on other companies to emulate the gesture.
BY RAISSA SAMBOU
