The Community Hospital at Akyem Oda in the Eastern Region, a private medical establishment, held a Paediatric Day last week, on which it offered free medical screening and treatment for 2,000 children drawn from the Birim Central Municipality and the Birim South and Denkyembuor districts.

There were 15 doctors and 30 nurses pooled from the Community and Akwatia St Dominic hospitals. They examined and treated children aged one to 11 for various ailments, including malaria, ear, eye and  throat infections and dental problems. Parents who accompanied their children were also counseled on proper nutrition methods. Additionally, the children were dewormed.

In order to attract children  and make them feel at home, the hospital provided free transport and amusement packages such as bouncy castles, dancing competition, quiz on general health and face painting.

The programme had the objective of encouraging children to stay healthy at all times so they could concentrate on their studies.    

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Community Hospital, Mr. Akwasi Akwah, said the gesture was in fulfilment of the health facility’s responsibility for the well being of the communities in its area of operation. 

He promised that the programme would be a regular feature in order to reduce ailments that affected children, particularly ailments that disturbed their studies.

He advised parents to send their children to hospitals periodically for medical examinations so that they could be treated for even ailment whose symptoms had not shown.

The Administrator of the Ashongman Community Hospital, Mrs. Gloria Owusu, urged parents to take good care of their children for them to grow into healthy adults.

The Director of Health Services for the Birim Central Municipality, Ms. Anastasia Atiogbe, praised the Community Hospital for the programme, which is the first of its kind in the municipality.

She pledged the support of the municipal health administration to make the event an annual affair.