School children in Nkoranza undergo dental screening

Nkoranza, (B/A), Dec. 23, GNA - A team of two doctors and three nurses from the Brong-Ahafo Regional Hospital in Sunyani on Thursday held a dental screening exercise for more than 960 pupils from basic schools in Nkoranza and its environs. The exercise, organised by the Ministry of Health, the Regional Hospital and the Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service was aimed at determining the oral health status of the pupils and to give them treatment.

Dr Emmanuel Kofi Amponsah, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who led the team told the Ghana News Agency that the programme also aimed at promoting the health of children of school-going age in deprived communities.

He said the screening exercise started in eight regions in the country in 2003 and that the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) had supported by providing mobile dental facilities. Dr Amponsah said a Community Oral Health Training School had been established at Kintampo to train health officers who would carry out sensitization programmes on oral health care in the communities. He said the team had designed an action plan aimed at ensuring the health needs of all school children in the various districts of the region by the end of 2009.

Dr. Amponsah appealed to the municipal and district assemblies to provide logistics and other support to the team to enable them to work effectively to enhance the health status of the people. Mr Kwabena Agyemang-Badu, Nkoranza District Director of Education commended the medical team for undertaking the exercise and advised parents to complement the team's efforts by guarding against dental diseases among their children.

He pleaded with the team to make the necessary arrangements so that more school children in the district would benefit from the exercise.