The Amazing Smile Foundation (ASF), based in Battor in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, together with the 13 Villages Foundation from the United States of America, has organized its eighth annual free medical health screening exercise at Battor. More than six hundred residents from Battor and surrounding communities benefited from the program, receiving medical care and medications at no cost.
The exercise was held in collaboration with the North Tongu District Directorate of the Ghana Health Service and the Catholic Hospital at Battor under the theme “My Health, My Priority.” The hospital deployed a twenty-two-member team of medical doctors and professional staff led by Nurse Manager Ms. Catherine Adzo Agbotame Hadjor. They were joined by five other doctors from the USA and Accra, including Dr. Vincent Cobbler of Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Sheila Apiiya of the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Dr. Yvonne Mawudor of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Pius Klevor of North Legon Hospital, and Dr. Bismarck Hottor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School. Togbe Dr. Banahene Adovor Dzodzegbe Agbenyo VII of the Teh Clan of Battor, the main sponsor, attended alongside Mamaga Asieku IV, Paramount Queen Mother of the Battor Traditional Area.
Beneficiaries had their vital signs checked, including blood pressure, temperature, pulse, weight, height, oxygen circulation, and blood sugar. They also underwent eye, nose, and throat examinations, and received counseling and education from doctors, mental health nurses, and nutritionists. All services and medications were provided free of charge. Additionally, 279 clients had their National Health Insurance cards renewed, while 96 new registrations were paid for by the organizers.
Dr. Bismarck Hottor expressed concern over the number of people found with dangerous hypertension and blood pressure levels without prior knowledge of their condition. He stressed the importance of regular health checks, especially for those aged forty and above, to prevent catastrophic events such as strokes. Dr. Vincent Cobbler advised elderly farmers to rest and hydrate when experiencing headaches or dizziness in the heat, and encouraged those who feel dizzy upon waking to check their blood pressure and allow their bodies to stabilize before resuming activities.
Nurse Manager Catherine Hadjor expressed gratitude to ASF and the 13 Villages Foundation for creating such opportunities and hoped for more sponsors to expand the initiative to other communities. Togbe Dr. Banahene Adovor Dzodzegbe Agbenyo VII, CEO of the 13 Villages Foundation, described the gesture as part of his vision to give back to his community and humanity at large, pledging continued commitment to improving health outcomes. ASF CEO Ms. Millie Kafui Kumasenu called the exercise rewarding and appealed for partnerships to extend the impact to more communities.
For eight consecutive years, ASF and the 13 Villages Foundation have provided free annual health screenings, benefiting more than ten thousand people across the Tongu area and beyond, becoming a source of hope and intervention for many rural communities.
