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Health News of Monday, 24 August 2015

Source: GNA

Vodafone Foundation screens Osu residents

The Vodafone Ghana Foundation, has organised a free health screening exercise for residents at Osu and its environs as part of its health fest programme to ensure their health safety.

The screening exercise provided an opportunity for the residents to be diagnosed of variety of ailments including malaria, tuberculosis and dental associated problems including cleft lip and cleft palate.

Individuals associated with cleft lip and cleft palate were given the chance to be operated on in the Foundation’s pre-mission operation slated for November.

Nana Yaa Ofori-Koree, Director of the Foundation said the residents were also counselled of sexual related issues, and how to secure their health at all times.

“The Foundation also set up a pharmacy counter to provide the people with the necessary medication recommended by the practitioners for free”, she said.

Mrs Ofori-Koree noted that the Foundation has already organised the screening exercise for different communities in the region and beyond including Tema Newtown, La, Nungua, Alajo, Glefe, Dansoman, Esikado,and Betom in Koforidua.

She expressed the hope that the team would visit every region to support the citizens before the end of the year.

The Director said the Vodafone “Healthfest” is a project initiated by the Foundation to deliver free health screening activities for members of the Ghanaian community.

She said: “Although, the Foundation provides education on health for the general public through the Vodafone Healthline TV show, they found it necessary to meet the people personally and assist them with their health related problems and diagnose them as well”.

Mrs Ofori-Koree said last year, 5,000 individuals were screened through the Healthfest project, but they have decided to increase the number to 10,000 this year.

She disclosed that another area that is very important to Vodafone is education, therefore the Foundation in collaboration with the British Council has opened a scholarship scheme to support more than 100 females to study science related courses in the senior high schools across the country, adding that it has started with 49 students.

She said Vodafone Healthline 255 is an opportunity for Vodafone subscribers to get health information in the comfort of their homes between 16:00 and 22:00 hours by speaking to medical practitioners on their private health.

However, she said non-Vodafone subscribers could also access the same benefit by dialing 0505050500.

She also asked the public to go to the website of the British Council Ghana and apply for the educational support to have their finances in the three- year term at the senior high school covered.