The annual event dubbed ‘Zongo Annual Health Check’ saw the deployment of different specialists who are members of the Muslim Health Workers Association to screen inhabitants and also give them the needed medical advice depending on the diagnosis.

The health workers screened beneficiaries on their blood pressure, Random Blood Glucose, Malaria RDT, Weight, height, and body mass index as well as helped them to know their HIV status.

The doctors also embarked on Hepatitis B screening and general consultation for beneficiaries.

According to the leadership of the Muslim Health Workers Association of Ghana, the aim of the initiative is to advocate for an annual health check for every adult.

Women Organiser for the Muslim Health Workers Association of Ghana, Ajaratu Lampinley said members of the Association went into the communities to attend to the health needs of the less privileged to enable them to reveal some medical conditions that are prevalent among inhabitants.

She explained that, “During the screening, we were able to detect some people who never knew they had diabetes or Hypertension, and health workers were able to refer them to the appropriate health facilities for further treatment. And again some people didn’t know their HIV status and thank God we were able to detect new cases they never knew of.”

The Association said it also observed that apart from the ignorance the inhabitants had about their health conditions, most of them were faced with financial challenges that hindered access to seeking healthcare.

Madam Ajaratu Lampinley cited an instance when she had to help one of the beneficiaries financially to enable her to visit the hospital after she was diagnosed with some ailment during the screening exercise.

“Some of them are really deprived, they don’t have the means. Others have the means, but due to ignorance. So we encourage them, we sensitize them, and they are being encouraged to visit the health facilities,” she added.

Officials of the Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim Foundation have pledged to continue their support for the initiative to ensure inhabitants in Zongo communities are taken care of medically.

Beneficiaries lauded the initiative by the Alhaji Yusif Ibrahim Foundation and the Muslim Health Workers Association of Ghana.

The leadership of the Association has called on philanthropists and other benevolent institutions to partner with it to help the vulnerable in Zongo communities.