Midwives reach out to Mallam market women
The Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA), which includes midwives from the private and public sector, last Saturday held a medical outreach for traders at the Mallam Market in Accra.
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Members of the association from the Greater Accra, Eastern and Central regions undertook the exercise as part of activities to make GRMA’s 80 years anniversary which will be climaxed in August this year.
They were actively supported by midwives from the Ga South Municipal Hospital, which is situated close to the market and DKT International, Ghana, providers of contraceptives.
Screening
The market women were screened for hypertension, malaria and HIV and were also given family planning education and services free of charge.
Prior to the screening, the GRMA members went through the market to educate the traders on how to care for themselves during pregnancy, the importance of going for regular medical checkups and practising good hygiene.
By the end of the exercise, 200 women were tested for malaria, 132 were screened for HIV and 150 for hypertension.
The Greater Accra Regional Chairperson of the GRMA, Superintendent Marufati Essie Braimah, said the association decided to undertake the medical outreach because many of the traders neglected their health because of their trading activities.
She said it was noted during the exercise that many of the traders were aware that they were hypertensive but were not adhering to their treatment regimes because they did not want to take time off their businesses to visit health facilities.
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She said traders, who tested positive to any of the conditions that were screened, were referred to the hospital for further care.
The President of GRMA, Mrs Joyce Jetuah, expressed worry at the high rate of self-medication among traders in the country.
Appeal
Mrs Jetuah, therefore, appealed to the municipal assemblies to set up clinics or health posts at the markets to bring health care to the door steps of the traders.
She further called on the traders to try and avoid self-medication but rather seek medical attention at health centres.
Market women grateful
Many of the market women expressed their gratitude to the GRMA for the exercise, which they indicated, enabled them to know their health status.