SOSSAH, St Anthony’s hospital host the aged and Persons with Disabilities

As part of the initiative to give back to society, SOSSAH in collaboration with St Anthony’s hospital has organised a health screening and a dinner party for the aged, Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s), and the mentally Challenged in Dzodze, the Ketu North Municipal Capital of the Volta region.

The programme which drew staff from St Anthony’s hospital took participants through health screening and education processes.

As part of the screening, Patrons who are not in good health conditions were given some medications to stabilise their system while advice was given to some regarding their condition and others were referred to the health facility for further examination and treatments.

Speaking to the media, Madam Justine Quist, a senior public health nursing officer at St Anthony’s hospital and a board member of SOSSAH noted that, the fear for COVID-19 had affected residents’ patronage of health care facilities hence the need to take health care delivery to their doorstep.

“We’ve realised that during the pandemic situation, many residents are afraid to come to access health care in our facility. They think when they come to the health facility, we would diagnose them with COVID-19 so we see the need to come to them in their various communities with health screening programmes and also educate them,” she explained.



According to Madam Quist, those who are diagnosed with serious health issues will be referred to St Anthony’s hospital for proper management and treatment.

She noted that issues of mental health should be given much attention adding that, no seriousness has been attached to this aspect over the years so as to tackle it head-on.

“It looks like these days, we don’t focus on this issue, but it is a major problem in our society and Ghana as a whole.”

She said they will not relent in their effort in addressing the health needs of residents in the various communities adding that the aged, physically, and mentally challenged needs serious assistance.

She further called on other benevolent groups and individuals to see the issues of the aged, physically and mentally challenged as to their responsibility and focus their attention to offer their support in addressing them.

She also called for support for SOSSAH and the St Anthony’s hospital to enable them to reach other communities in the Ketu North Municipality and beyond.

Tabuoronombo Titus, a Principal Nursing Officer who served as the chairman of the programme commended SOSSAH for the initiative adding that this will help improve the health needs of the participants.

“It is the best to put smiles on the faces of the aged and the vulnerable in the society. If this gets repeated going forward, it will keep reminding our elderly ones as well as others that, our health is in our hands and there is the need to be responsible for their own health,” he said.

He noted that, in his address, the opportunity was also used to re-echo the need to commit to drug adherence and go for regular check-ups at the hospital.

“It is our hope that SOSSAH will continue to be pushing this agenda that others within the community will also emulate then we join forces together to reach out to the vulnerable and send the health needs to the doorstep of the people.”

He also lamented on the manner issues of mental health are taken in the country adding that, there is the need for government to take up issues of mental health seriously to help the affected individual, their families and the country as a whole.

He further called for collaboration from other well-meaning individuals and groups in support of SOSSAH’s efforts to reach out to other communities.

Participants were given the opportunity to ask health-related questions for redress. Food and drinks were served as well as other forms of lined up activities to entertain patrons.