About 500 residents of Banko in the Sekyere East District have benefited from a free health screening exercise.

It was organised and funded by Dr Jemima Kodua, a US-based Ghanaian Medical Practitioner in honour of her mother, the late Mrs Mary Amoasoh.

A team of doctors, led by a former Energy Minister and Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), were on hand to screen the people of various ailments.

The health professionals, mostly drawn from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Nkawie Government Hospital and Banko Health Centre, diagnosed and provided medication for ailments such as diabetes, malaria, hypertension and worm infestations.

Drugs worth GH¢12,000.00 were given to those who needed treatment free of charge in addition to counselling on healthy lifestyles.

Prof. Oteng Adjei commended successive governments for implementing human-centered policies such as the National Health Insurance and the Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) concept aimed at promoting primary healthcare.

He said good health among the population of any country was critical to development and urged Ghanaians to adopt good hygiene practices while observing the Covid-19 safety protocols at all times.

He commended the children of the late Mrs. Mary Amoasoh, especially Dr. Jemima Kodua, for putting together the life-impacting exercise.

Dr. Kodua said a sick and ill-health population negatively affected productivity and nation-building and urged Ghanaians to ensure regular medical check-ups for early treatments of diseases.

She also recommended the consumption of a balanced diet and regular exercises to avoid preventable diseases.

She paid glowing tribute to her late mother for her immense contribution to the healthcare delivery system as a nurse.

Some of the beneficiaries recounted fond memories of the late Mrs. Amoasoh for the selfless and dedicated services she rendered in the community as a professional nurse.