The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has partnered Rotary Club of Ghana to embark on a medical outreach for about 1,800 people in five host communities of the mine in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the region.
The medical outreach programme covered Samahu, Abekoase, Tebe, Pepesa, Bompieso, Tarkwa and Damang.
The activities undertaken included health education, breast and prostrate screening, eye test, test for blood sugar, blood pressure, malaria and administering of medication.
In an interview with journalists, the Executive Secretary, Mr. Abdel- Razak Yakubu, indicated that 70 health officials from the Tarkwa Municipal Hospital, Apinto Government Hospital, Euracare Diagnostic Centre, Huniso, Abosso Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds joined officials of the Foundation and Community Relations Department for the outreach.
He said the GFGF spent about GH¢590,000.00 for this year’s annual medical outreach as part of its interventions to promote good health and the well-being of its host communities.
“The medical outreach programme is organised to extend healthcare to the doorsteps of host communities. GFGF is excited with this programme. Our host communities are dear to us because they give us the peace of mind, and the fact that, there’s the trust that we deliver on our promises,” Mr. Yakubu said.
He added that health was critical to the economic activities of the community members who provided the labour and also fed the mine.
He told journalists, however, that exciting stories of breast cancer patients from Damang, who two years ago tested positive for the diseases, but successfully went through surgery were alive and well.
The Executive Secretary said: “The Foundation has invested US$2.9m in support of health and wellbeing activities since inception. For this year, we have added prostate cancer, and any patient diagnosed to be positive would be referred to hospital for further investigations and treatment.
He indicated that six doctors and a nurse, who were past beneficiaries of GFGF scholarships, volunteered to assist in this year’s outreach.
Dr. Charles Yiway, from the Emergency Unit, University of Cape Coast (UCC) Teaching Hospital, explained that the community health outreach was critical, as it had helped to rope in patients who needed urgent attention.
He said: “A patient came with high fever and is diabetic and had defaulted on his medication for two months. We have referred him to the hospital at Tarkwa. Another also came in with high blood pressure complaints. The outreach helps to pick emergencies and we will advise people to take opportunity of such programmes to check their health status.”
