A not-for-profit organization Proffer Aid International Foundation has conducted a free medical screening exercise for the staff of Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra.

This move was part of efforts to reach out to Ghanaians across the economic divide through improved healthcare delivery to accelerate their contribution to national development.

In all, over a hundred staff members benefited from the initiative as volunteers of the foundation took them through the processes on Friday, February 28, 2020. The beneficiaries ranged from top management, line managers to cooks, waiters and other department staff.

They were assessed for conditions such as malaria, hepatitis, and syphilis among others. They also had their blood groups and Body Mass Index assessed while vaccines, counseling were provided with further treatment recommended where necessary.

The Human Resource Department of the hotel, explaining the rationale behind the collaboration, said the wellbeing of the personnel was at the core of their operations.

According to outfit, the staff serves as the immediate drivers of the facility’s activities hence the department’s commitment to hold their health issues in high esteem.

A cafeteria manager, Gifty Sakyi shared her elation after successfully getting her vitals checked by the volunteers.

“I am happy about this visit. The doctors were very careful in educating me on how to live healthy through physical exercise. I hope they do it more often,” she said as she returned to resume post at the kitchen.

United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 3, is targeted at ensuring healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages.

Proffer Aid International Foundation, as part of its Beware Cervical Cancer Project, organised a dialogue on the sidelines on the intricacies of breast cancer.

Creating awareness among the attendees, Dr Gloria Achempim-Ansong with the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Ghana urged regular screening and vaccination to help prevent the condition.

“If you do the screening and test negative, we have a vaccine. You take the first shot and after 4 weeks the second shot is given, and the last is given after 6 months. It will take you five years. But in-between, after 2 years you still have to go and do the screening.”

Angela Addae of Marie Stopes International – Ashaiman, also advised females that: “taking oral contraceptives for a longer time reduce your immunity, distorts your hormonal makeup, which also distorts your genetic strain which will, in turn, affect your cells,” a situation that could easily leave one vulnerable to the cancer.”

Speaking to Myjoyonline.com, Board Secretary of Proffer Aid International Foundation, Daniel Forson, touted the success of the programme while expressing excitement by the number of staff members that turned up for the exercise.

“We had massive participation of the staff. Screening activities should be taken to these places because people working in places like this make little time for their health,” Mr Forson said.

He further disclosed that: “due to increasing employment of women in the industry we decided to come here and educate them about the killer disease cervical cancer which is highly preventable with the screening tool.”

Prior to this event, the foundation had made an earlier stop at Aqua Safari Resort in Ada to conduct a similar exercise as part of measures to equip tackle health concerns of the frontline staff in Ghana’s hospitality industry.

The organisation has provided various levels of health care services mostly in rural parts of Ghana. In December 2019, it undertook a free health screening for over 400 widows at Ashaley Botwe in Accra.

Proffer Aid International Foundation

Proffer Aid is an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to addressing health problems within the Ghanaian community. Established in 2013, it seeks to advocate better health care services in African countries where health services are acutely deficient and partnering with professional health bodies, governmental & non-governmental organizations and corporate institutions to upgrade health services.

The team is also poised to establishing affordable and accessible health structures such as primary health centers and local hospitals) to remote areas and upgrading facilities that have been badly managed.

Organising exchange programmes for health personnel where students and professionals will have the opportunity to impact the lives of the less-privileged by providing them, with better health care services is also at the core of its dealings.