More than 2,500 people in the Lambussie District in the Upper West Region, have been provided with free medical services at a health screening exercise organised by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
There was a massive turnout for the exercise and majority of the people who patronized the services were either not registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) or could not renew their cards when they expired.
Seven medical doctors and 20 nurses were involved in the exercise, and it benefited people in Karni, Lambussie, Billow, Hamile, Muoteng, Koro, Piina, samoa, Happa, Kpare and Suke communities.
The people were screened for malaria, diabetes, enteric fever, high blood pressure and diarrhoeal diseases among others, with many of them suffering from muscular-skeletal pains.
Four of the participants whose conditions were critical were admitted and the NPP and its aspiring Parliamentary candidate paid for their medical expenses, while those diagnosed with other ailments were treated and drugs were prescribed for them.
Dr. Fredua Agyeman Prempeh, Head of the medical team said no case of diabetes was diagnosed among the people.
He said the inability of some people in the communities to raise money to register with the NHIS and to renew their expired cards has been a huge hindrance for them to have access to quality health care service when they are sick, with poverty mentioned as a challenge.
Some of the people who patronised the exercise brought with them prescriptions issued to them from hospitals they attended, and presented them to the candidate to help them with money to buy the drugs.
Mr. Yelviel-Dong Baligi, the Parliamentary Candidate promised to make the exercise a regular one to ensure that the vulnerable, especially women and children improve their welfare.
Many people in the district have difficulties in accessing quality healthcare services due to poverty, and that has resulted in a number of people practicing self-medication leading to drug and other sustenance abuses.
He said those participants who had not registered with the NHIS would be catered for and those diagnosed to have diseases that the Scheme is not covering would also be taken care of.
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Source: GNA