Achiase residents receive free medical screening
As part of activities marking the 40th anniversary celebration of the Jungle Warfare School (JWS), aka Seth Anthony Barracks, 14 medical personnel from the 37 Military Hospital in Accra have offered free medical screening for over 400 people at Akyem Achiase in the Eastern Region.
With the support of staff from the Jubilee Hospital, a private medical facility at Oda, and the Achiase Health Centre, the beneficiaries were screened for diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, hypertension and diabetes.
Soldiers from the school, in conjunction with cadets from senior high schools (SHS) in the area, the police and fire service personnel, also carried out a clean-up exercise at the Achiase Health Centre. They also planted seedlings at the barracks and Achiase Senior High School.
Climax
The JWS climaxed the three-day event with tug-of-war, as well as a football and volleyball matches involving 10 teams.
The three-day event attracted many dignitaries such as Brigadier-General Nicholas Peter Andoh, the Director-General of Defence, Industry and Department of the Ghana Armed Forces; DSP Samuel Ntosoh, the Oda Municipal Police Commander; the Achiasehene, Daasebre Gyenin Kantan II, and the Commanding Officer of JWS, Lt-Col Cephas Tettey Broni.
Major Humphrey Nii Tetteh, the leader of the Military Health Team, advised the public to undergo regular health screening to keep them healthy at all times.
Military/civilian relationship
Brigadier-General Andoh explained that the celebration was to, among other things, strengthen the relationship between the military and civilians.
On the JWS, he said apart from training Ghanaian and foreign soldiers, the school contributed to national security and also provided security for Birim North, Birim South, Akyemansa, Denkyembour, Kwaebibirem and Upper West Akyem districts, as well as Birim Central and Lower West Akyem municipalities.
He advised Ghanaians to ensure that the upcoming general election was conducted peacefully to sustain national unity and stability.
Jungle Warfare School
Lt-Col Broni, for his part, recounted the history of JWS and said the school was established at Benimase, near Konongo, in 1974 and relocated to Accra in 1975 but due to the absence of a jungle to train the soldiers, the Military High Command, with support from the government, sent the school to Achiase in 1976.
He said the relocation of the school to Achiase 40 years ago had helped improve the security of the area and commended the relationship between soldiers and civilians in the area.
The Achiasehene, Daasebre Gyenin Kantan, commended the Military High Command for establishing the JWS in the community as it had put Achiase on the world map.