Residents of Subri, in the Western Region, who have had a torrid time accessing healthcare including breast cancer screening and other treatments, as well as registering with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), have been offered a significant lifeline by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation.
Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, in a collaborative effort with the Rotary Clubs of Tarkwa, Anaji, and Bogoso, has organized an exhaustive medical outreach aimed at erasing the “yawning healthcare gap” often rife among rural folks, which is exacerbated by distance.
The residents’ inability to commute – especially during emergencies – to healthcare centers has led to health complications that could otherwise have been diagnosed early for treatment. Thus, the medical outreach, which featured breast cancer screening and sensitization, diabetes and blood pressure screening and management, and NHIS registration, was also intended to reinforce the urgent need for healthcare to reach everyone.
At the outreach, Abdel Razak Yakubu, Secretary of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, cringed at how residents of Subri struggle to access healthcare.
“Access to healthcare is a major challenge… It’s not just about having health facilities in place; people often struggle with even money to travel to access the few available facilities.”
For example, it costs “approximately 100 cedis for a resident” to commute to the NHIS office in Tarkwa to access a service that costs much less than what they spend on transportation. Due to this “barrier,” a significant number of residents are yet to register with the NHIS.
To address this, the Foundation invested “over 220,000 cedis” as part of the outreach programs to bring NHIS registration and renewal to the Subri community.
The goal is to “eliminate the travel barrier for registration or renewal by bringing NHIS services to the community,” he said. The premium for the first 500 registrants was covered, with a further pledge to support NHIS “capacity building to reach more remote communities in the future.”
Dr. Magdalene Bakari, Unit Manager for Health Services at Gold Fields Ghana, stressed the need for regular self-breast examination. This way, any sign of abnormality can be detected early and the necessary action taken.
“…Regular check-ups and self-screenings should be a common feature in your daily routines,” she told the gathering.
Gold Fields Ghana has, over the past five years, joined forces with the Tarkwa Rotary Club to lessen the burdens of residents in Tarkwa and adjoining communities through tailored philanthropic gestures. Tarkwa Rotary Club President, Nathaniel Northa, said these “five years have been humbling and fulfilling,” knowing that many have “gained back their smiles” because of their efforts and pledged to continue and extend their coverage.
Seated at one of the tents was Akua Manu – not her real name – who shared a story of how timely the outreach has been for her household.
“I have been thinking of how to register the household, but the cost involved has always been a challenge. So anytime I plan for us to go to Tarkwa for the registration, I let it go. It’s a great relief that we have been able to register.”
A team of medical experts led the outreach to offer screenings, consultations, and medication.
Over five hundred residents also got the opportunity to either register or renew their NHIS subscription, and Ebenezer Atuahene of the NHIS said plans were underway to return and cover the rest of the community, “especially for children.”
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The post W/R: Gold Fields Foundation provides free health screening to Subri residents first appeared on 3News.
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