Medical screening headlines Regatta-2019; It’s stakeholder event for six coastal communities

More than 1,200 people across the six coastal communities in the Western Region are benefiting from general and specialised medical screening exercise.

The medical care, which is part of the Regatta-2019, a community engagement programme supported by the oil companies, includes free eye-surgery for people who may require it.

The Regatta is an annual celebration organised by the regional branch of the National Canoe Fishermen Council in the Western Region (GNCFC-WR). This year’s event is on the theme, “Peaceful Co-Existence.”

The eight-day health screening programme at Dixcove is providing health screening in diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, blood pressure, sugar level, breast and cervical cancers, as well as diseases of the eye.

After the screening, those who require eye surgeries would be referred to the Essikado Hospital in Sekondi for free eye surgery.

Regatta-2019 is sponsored by Tullow Oil Ghana, the Jubilee and TEN partners. It is used as a platform to engage stakeholders and share experiences.

Eye screening

Speaking at Dixcove in the Ahanta West District, a member of the Regional branch of the GNCFC-WR, Mr Abeka Edu, said the healthcare of the people was paramount, hence the screening.

“That is why in planning, we added other areas that are of interest to the people. The beneficiaries are from communities and districts such as Ahanta West, Jomoro, Ellembelle and Shama, the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and Nzema East Municipal Assembly,” he said.

Mr Edu added that the medical team for the screening were expected to take care of more than 200 people in all the districts participating in this year’s regatta.

The event, he said, was an improvement over the previous ones and was also happening at a time when the fishing communities had taken a break for the close season.

Mr Edu also explained the close season and the date of resumption, while urging them to ensure safety in all their endeavours.

Hypertension and diabetic cases

For her part, the District Director of Health, Mrs Caroline Otoo, said most of the cases that came to the main facilities were hypertension and diabetes related, which she said was the result of lifestyles. 

She said members of the medical team also added health education, explaining the implications of excessive alcoholism and smoking, while educating the women on how to detect breast cancer and the need to seek early treatment.

Mrs Otoo commended the Jubilee and TEN partners, as well as the lead operator of the Jubilee field, Tullow Oil Ghana, for the initiative.

“Let me urge you to use the close season to take care of your tools and take enough rest,” she advised.

The Chief Fisherman of Dixcove, Nana Kwaku Dadzi, commended the GNCFC-WR for the initiative and improving upon the stakeholder engagement regularly.

Earlier, a team from Tullow took the gathering through a presentation of the developments on the oilfields, current operations offshore and what lies ahead.