Hundreds of people patronised this year’s free health screening exercise organised by the Graphic Communications Group Ltd. (GCGL) for residents of Adabraka and surrounding communities.
The exercise, the GCGL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, enables the company to give back to the community that has hosted it for decades.
Over the years, the free screening exercise has been one that the community looks forward to, and this year was no exception as hundreds of people showed up very early at the Graphic Clinic on Kojo Thompson Avenue to take part in the exercise that covered general medical consultations, blood pressure and sugar level checks, dental and optical screening as well as renewal and registration onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Support
The screening was intended to promote preventive health care by encouraging residents to undertake regular health checks and also provided free medicines to beneficiaries, with pharmaceutical and healthcare companies supporting the exercise with medicines and other resources.
Among the sponsors were M&G Pharmaceuticals, Danpong Healthcare, Bedita Pharmaceuticals, Bel-Aqua, Indus Life, Ernest Chemist, Unicom, Phyto-Riker, Luex, Unichem Ghana, Top-Up Pharmacy, Atlantic Life Sciences, Pharmanova, Seravac, Pepsodent and DAS.
There was also support from Gokals Healthy Options, Serepa Dental Clinic and Synlab Ghana.
Medical assessment
A Medical Officer with the screening team, Dr Kweku Essilfie Arhin, described this year’s exercise as encouraging, explaining that residents were becoming more health-conscious.
Priscilla Ameyaw (left) from Serepa Dental Clinic examining a beneficiary
He said early indications showed an improvement in the health status of some returning participants.
Dr Essilfie cited a patient whose blood pressure had required specialist attention during the previous exercise, but was now under control.
He encouraged residents to make use of the NHIS and healthcare facilities, saying they should seek answers to health concerns even when the problem appeared minor.
Graphic’s commitment
Speaking before the exercise began, the Managing Director of GCGL, Ato Afful, said the initiative was important to the company because, despite being a state-owned company and a national character brand, it was important that the company’s activities impacted the country and the communities in which it operated.
Dr Jacqui Barnes (left), Resident Medical Doctor at Graphic Clinic, and Ato Afful (2nd from left), MD of GCGL, in a discussion with Nii Tetteh Adjabeng II (3rd from left), the Adabraka Manste, during the screening exercise
He said the company had been in Adabraka for 76 years and considered the clinic and the annual screening exercise an important way of serving the community.
Mr Afful said preventive health care was important and people should not wait until they were unwell before seeking medical attention.
He encouraged residents to register with the NHIS and use the Graphic Clinic, which he said was open to both Graphic staff and members of the community.
He expressed gratitude to the health care and pharmaceutical partners whose support made the provision of free medicines and screening possible.
Mr Afful also encouraged parents to send their children to school and develop their reading habits, saying the ability to read was important.
Traditional authority
The Chief of Adabraka, Nii Tetteh Adjabeng II, expressed gratitude to the organisers and partners for their thoughtfulness and impactful support.
He also commended the residents for showing up, stressing that without their participation, the exercise would not be successful.
He said the presence of elders and leaders should contribute to the prosperity of the community and prayed for peace and good health for all those gathered.
CSR initiative
The Acting Corporate Affairs Manager of GCGL, Kyerewaa Asiamah Wiafe, said the initiative was an investment in the health of the community and a way of thanking residents for supporting Graphic over its 76 years in Adabraka.
Residents taking their medications
Mrs Wiafe said the company expected between 300 and 400 residents to benefit, while more than 100 people were also being registered onto the NHIS to give them access to health care throughout the year.
She said common conditions identified during previous exercises included high blood pressure and blood sugar problems, and encouraged residents to check their health regularly rather than wait until they felt sick.
She said GCGL had previously undertaken similar activities in Kumasi and other regions and expressed the hope that the initiative would be extended to more communities.
Partners
The Business Development Support Officer of Danpong Healthcare, Jane Gyapong, said the company supported the exercise because of its interest in CSR and preventive health care.
She said Danpong Healthcare had supported previous Graphic screening exercises with medicines and would continue to support the community when called upon.
She encouraged participants to take part in regular health checks, including laboratory tests, and said Danpong’s laboratory was offering a discount on prostate health tests until the end of the month.
