Five Hundred And Thirty-Four people at Ashanti-Kpoeta and other communities in the Kpoeta area in Ho West District of the Volta Region turned up at the Kpoeta CHPS compound for a free general medical consultation and health screening organised by the Ghana Military Academy, last Tuesday.

The beneficiaries, of all ages, were screened for malaria, diabetes, hypertension, analgesia and other ailments.

The exercise comes at the end of a week’s endurance training by cadets of the Ghana Military Academy in Kpoeta to familiarise them with the environment in the district.

The Commandant of the Military Academy, Major General Charles Agyemang-Prempeh, shedding light on the exercise, said the people in the communities were part of the environment and thus making first-hand contact and interaction with them was crucial.

He said the health screening was, therefore, meant to build a strong bond of cordiality with the people of the district, where the cadets engaged in the ‘Eastern Trek’ training annually.

“Once they hosted the cadets, it is only proper for the command to show appreciation for that gesture,” Major-General Agyemang-Prempeh explained.
 

Staff midwife

The Staff Midwife in charge of the CHPS compound, Florence Atike, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Military Academy for the exercise, saying it brought a huge relief to the people and the compound as well.

Major General Charles Agyemang-Prempeh, Commandant of the Military Academy, wishing some of the patients speedy recovery

She said an average of 18-20 patients turned up at the compound daily for treatment, adding some sick people at Kpoeta often chose to stay at home with their ailments instead of coming to the compound for treatment, due to financial constraints.

The free screening exercise by the Ghana Military Academy, therefore, had helped to clear the backlog of the cases of illness afflicting the people and that was evident in the massive turnout, the staff midwife said.

Mrs Atike appealed to the Ghana Military Academy command to visit the district frequently to support the people with more such health screening and consultation programmes in the broader national interest.

Military medical team

The military medical team, which carried out the screening and consultations, was led by Major Fuseini Sylvester Alhassan.

He said most of the clients were treated promptly with available medications, while others were referred to bigger health facilities in the area.

Major Doctor (Med) Alhassan described the turnout as highly gratifying and encouraging.