The Youth Chief of Saisi in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area of the Eastern Region, Nene Nuertey Adjramsah I, has sustained his annual community health screening initiative for five years, bringing essential medical checks and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registration services closer to residents.

The fifth edition of the initiative, which seeks to promote preventive healthcare and improve access to medical services, particularly among the aged, was held on Saturday, October 31, 2026, as part of activities marking the Ngmayem Festival celebrations.

This year's exercise offered residents basic health screening services, including blood pressure and diabetes checks, breast cancer screening for women and eye examinations. NHIS officials were also present to facilitate new registrations and membership renewals.

Speaking in an interview, Nene Nuertey Adjramsah I, popularly known as Simon Tee, said the initiative was motivated by his desire to help residents, particularly elderly people who struggle to travel to health facilities, know their health status.

He explained that the programme had, over the years, helped identify residents with previously undiagnosed health conditions, particularly high blood pressure, leading to referrals to nearby hospitals for further medical attention.

According to him, several beneficiaries were referred to health facilities during previous editions after abnormal health readings were detected.

He said the initiative was largely financed through his personal resources, with additional support from friends and health personnel drawn from various health institutions.

NHIS registration and renewal

As part of the exercise, officials of the National Health Insurance Scheme were present to assist residents with new registrations and renewal of their membership cards.

Nene Nuertey Adjramsah I said the inclusion of NHIS services was intended to make healthcare more accessible, particularly for residents who struggled to afford the cost of renewing their membership.

He explained that while new registrations were free, members seeking to renew their cards were required to pay the applicable renewal fees.

He encouraged residents to take advantage of the scheme, noting that an active NHIS membership could significantly reduce the financial burden associated with seeking medical care.

According to him, the scheme covers several medical services, including consultations and some prescribed medicines, making it an important tool for people with limited financial resources.

The youth chief urged residents not to wait for the annual community screening exercise before checking their health status, encouraging them to undertake regular medical examinations at hospitals and health centres.

He said maintaining good health was essential to the development and well-being of the community.



Doctor calls for replication of initiative

A medical practitioner, Dr Chris Narh, who participated in the exercise, has called on individuals and organisations in other communities to replicate the initiative to promote preventive healthcare.

Dr Narh, who hails from Odumase Krobo, said he had supported the organiser over the years and participated in this year's exercise while attending the Ngmayem Festival celebrations.

He disclosed that he attended the screening with his 86-year-old mother and his 66-year-old brother, describing the initiative as beneficial to residents who might otherwise struggle to access routine medical examinations.

He recounted witnessing a middle-aged woman whose blood pressure reading was alarmingly high during the exercise.

According to him, the woman received immediate attention and was advised to rest and seek further medical care at a nearby health facility.

Dr Narh said the incident demonstrated the importance of community-based health screening programmes in identifying potentially serious conditions before they resulted in medical emergencies.



He urged individuals with the capacity to support such initiatives to consider doing so, stressing that the benefits extended beyond individual beneficiaries to entire communities.

He described the initiative as a worthwhile investment in community health and encouraged other traditional areas to adopt similar interventions.

Some beneficiaries also expressed appreciation to the organiser for bringing the health services closer to residents, particularly the elderly and other vulnerable members of the community.