Alive Health Check starts pilot programme
Alive Health Check, one of the newly created modules under the Ghana Youth Employment Entrepreneur Development Agency (GYEEDA) programme, has begun on a pilot basis in the Greater Accra Region.
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So far 200 screening points have been set up in all the 30 districts in the region since the programme began in January this year.
The National Co-ordinator for the programme, Mr Fred Frimpong, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview said over 60,000 residents in the region had so far been screened for various ailments in the first quarter of the year.
The module has also engaged the services of over 1,700 beneficiaries under the programme in the region to deliver professional health screening.
The screening process is mostly done for conditions like blood pressure, sugar level, malaria and also body mass index with screening for hepatitis B to be introduced soon.
Beneficiaries are given expert advice on how to avoid ailments while those with serious cases are referred to hospitals.
He said the personnel under Alive Health Check had been trained and resourced with medical equipment to offer basic health checks to the public for free.
Members of the public are also given health education on the need to adopt healthy lifestyle practice to prolong their lives.
The objective of the programme is to create youth employment, sensitise Ghanaians to be conscious of their health status and also bring basic health care services on the doorstep of every Ghanaian.
“This module is in fulfilment of Government’s commitment to provide free healthcare service to Ghanaians in order to strengthen the human resource base for maximum development,” he said.
Currently, the beneficiaries have been stationed in markets, lorry parks, the Ministries, banks and other such places.
He noted that patronage of the services by the public had been encouraging, especially by the aged.
“Old men and women in places such as Asylum Down, Nima and Maamobi have been using our service points to check their pressure and sugar levels every other day and we believe it is helping them to cut down on things that are not good to their health,” he said.
The module is expected to be rolled out nationally before the end of this year.
Story: Justice Baidoo