The Alive Health Check Module of the Ghana Youth Employment Entrepreneur Development Agency (GYEEDA) programme has taken off with a three-day training session for selected beneficiaries.
Over 300 hundred people drawn from various districts in the Greater Accra Region are currently undergoing training organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Alive Pharmacy, the implementing agency for the Alive Health Check Module.
The module is aimed at promoting preventive healthcare through regular health screening and education to help reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare facilities.
The National Coordinator of Alive Health Check, Mr. Fred Frimpong said the module was designed as a result of the passion and commitment of Alive Pharmacy to ensure that every Ghanaian has access to better healthcare.
He said the AHC module seeks to reduce the rate of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular infections which accounts for 30 per cent of all morbidities in the country’s hospital.
He attributed the problem to the rapid increase in modern and fast paced lifestyles being embraced by majority of Ghanaians.
He noted that “regular screenings have therefore become vital as it helps to detect symptoms of these diseases at the early stages for prompt medical attention before they reached crises levels”.
Mr. Frimpong charged the trainees to maintain their equipment; refrain from selling them and avoid truancy.
Mr. Kofi Adusei, who is the lead trainer and the Programme Manager at the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Department of the Ministry of Health, said the training was to enable beneficiaries to acquire the skills needed to perform basic health checks.
Mr. Adusei said the beneficiaries will be trained on how to conduct blood pressure testing sugar level testing; and measure body mass index.
“They will also be trained to provide health education that will help people to adopt healthy lifestyles such as need for regular exercise; healthy diet; rest; avoidance of tobacco and low alcohol and salt intake,” he added.
The Director in Charge of Administration at GYEEDA, Mr. Roger Abolimbisa said the introduction of the AHC module forms part of measures to expand and include more health modules in the programme and to ensure that many young people were absorbed.
Mr. Abolimbisa said the move was an indication of government’s commitment to improve access to healthcare services in the country.
He said government recognizes that a healthier human resource was critical to help Ghana achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
He believes that the module will help Ghanaians to embrace preventive healthcare to further develop and strengthen the human resource base of the country.
“The new module will therefore augment the provision of healthcare service by bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian for free”, he stressed.
Beneficiaries at the end of the training will be assessed through practical and written examinations to select the best beneficiaries to work under the module.
Those selected will be resourced with equipment and placed at vantage places such as markets, community centres, schools, and pharmacy shop to provide their services.