Senior Citizens undertake body screening to mark Republic Day

Wa, July 2, GNA - The Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and the Wa Municipal Health Directorate, organised body screening exercises for 50 senior citizens, who attended this year's Senior Citizens Day in Wa on Friday, to mark the Republic Day celebration.

Ghana has since 1960, set aside every 1st July as Republic Day, and this year's event marks the 51st milestone of the attainment of Republicanism status, which completely liberated the country from British colonial rule that ended on 6th March 1957. Screening of the senior citizens took the form of checking of their blood pressure, weight and height and body mass index, and they were educated on regenerative health, to help improve their health status.

Madam Esther Peace Aakye, the Municipal Nutrition Technical Officer, who spoke on: 93Regenerative Health", appealed to the retirees to have sufficient sleep or rest, saying 93the lack of sleep kills faster than some of the known diseases that you fear", drink sufficient water, avoid excessive alcohol intake, smoking of tobacco, meat and sex.

She advised them to put off the light before sleeping, laugh much because laugher is a great healer, control their temper, exercise regularly and avoid over feeding and late meals. Some of the senior citizens, who claimed they lived in rural communities, complained that because they stay far away from health facilities, they could not regularly visit the hospital to check their health status.

They commended the RCC and Municipal Health Directorate for organising the exercise, and suggested the formation of a medical task force to undertake health screening exercises for the aged in the rural areas of the Region.