Open Arc Foundation, a non-profit volunteer service organization, partnered with Ghanaian beverage company Kasapreko and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to organise free health screening for the people of Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region.
The screening held at the Ashaiman Presby School Park was part of a three-year Comprehensive Pandemic Management initiative that seeks to offer health care for catchment communities.
More than 1000 people, including children and elderly men and women, who took part in the health screening exercise received free drugs and free enrolment to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Mr Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey, the Executive Officer of Open Arc, said in an interview that his outfit aims to spearhead projects that would benefit the disadvantaged in society and that the free medical screening was an initiative targeted towards that course.
He stated that Sustainable Development Goal 3, which highlights good health and well-being, was one of their focal objectives as they look to offer such quality healthcare services to the vulnerable in society.
“We’re looking at communities that don’t have access to quality healthcare, and we’ve targeted our offering for thousands of people across the country. Our mission is committed to sustainably unlocking the full potential of our youth through education, health care, and social work.
“We would also embark on various youth empowerment programmes which include skills development, mentorship and also training ex-convict, among other things we planned to undertake,” he said.
Dr. G. Anane, the initiative’s lead volunteer medical practitioner, stated in an interview that the initiative’s goal was to provide quality health care to some of society’s most vulnerable members.
“Most people that came here were concerned about their health but couldn’t get the financing to seek it at hospitals, so giving them the opportunity to register for the NHIS and also offering them free medical care is an initiative in the right direction,” Dr. Anane said.
He stated that the numbers that turned up for the health screening demonstrated the need for more corporate organizations to support Open Arc Foundation’s mission so that it could be expanded to more deprived communities.
Madam Linda Amartei, the Brands Manager at Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL), stated that they supported the project in their quest to give back to the people of Ashaiman.
He stated that the Ashaiman community remained one of the biggest consumer markets in Ghana and had always supported the KCL brand, and they would embark on other projects to benefit the residents.
“This forms part of our corporate social responsibility to give back to people in society and target more people across the country. We are committed to giving people access to quality health; that is why we have assembled some of the best doctors to undertake this project,” she said.
The free health screening train will make its next stop in Asawase, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, next week.
GNA
