Story by Yaaba Yamikeh, Konduakrom
Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has taken quality healthcare to the doorsteps of residents of Konduakrom, a deprived community in the Prestea-Hunivalley Municipality of the Western Region.
The Foundation recenlty screened the residents for blood sugar, blood pressure, breast cancer, malaria and HIV status.
Thorough examinations were also conducted on their eyes, ears, nose and throats in addition to assessing their body mass index.
A total of 732 benefited from the exercise, and were given a wide range of free medications based on individual screening outcomes.
The Foundation took advantage of the day, which is celebrated every year as World Hepatitis Day, to sensitise the residents on preventive methods of hepatitis B, HIV and diabetes.
It also teamed up with officials from the National Health Insurance to register and renew 705 insurance cards, bringing total number of NHIS beneficiaries in the host communities to two thousand.
Additionally, the Foundation in collaboration with UNILEVER Ghana, distributed dental toothpastes to residents of Konduakrom to help improve their oral health.
Legacy Programme
Miss Ayishetu Mohammed, the Project Co-ordinator-Health, Environment and Conservation, said the exercise formed part of Gold Field Ghana Foundation’s Group Legacy Programme (GLP) which basically aims at improving access to quality healthcare and creating health awareness in the host communities.
She explained that the GLP is implemented through a Community Medical Outreach Programme which is organised quarterly.
Miss Mohammed noted that Saturday’s event was the quarter three outreach programme designed for Konduakrom, Mile 10 and other nearby host communities with focus on Konduakrom.
She reiterated that the exercise underscores the Foundation’s commitment to bringing essential medical services closer to deprived communities and promoting health education.
The project co-ordinator disclosed that about sixty percent of medical practitioners engaged to conduct the screening exercise were current and former beneficiaries of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s scholarship programme, and the remaining professionals were drawn from Tarkwa Mine hospital (Euracare), Prestea-Hunivalley and Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipalities.
Quality of life
Miss Mohammed further disclosed that the Foundation had so far invested over 4.9 million dollars in the health and wellness initiative, adding that this investment reaffirms its long-term commitment to enhancing the quality of life in host communities.
Mr. Frank Konduah, the accountant and administrative officer, said Gold Fields Ghana Foundation had since its establishment executed many infrastructural, educational, agricultural and health projects among others but the focus now is on preventive health.
He said that was to help control outbreak of preventable diseases in the host communities and congestion at Out Patient Departments in various health facilities.
Mr. Konduah said the screening exercise and medications given to the residents were of high quality comparable to services offered by any top hospital in the country.
A senior medical officer at the Gold Fields Mines hospital, Dr. Antonniete Atta Hasford, said Hepatitis B screening formed part of ante-natal care.
She therefore encouraged pregnant women to regularly access ante-natal care for detection of their hepatitis B status and vaccination to help save their lives as well that of the unborn babies.
