Presby ministers’ wives train in breast care
A day’s workshop has been held in Kumasi as a preamble to training members of the Presbyterian Ministers’ Wives Association (PMWA) as volunteer community breast help promoters in the country.
The first batch of 65 participants were drawn from the Upper, Northern, West Bono, Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Sekyere, Asante Akyem, Kwahu, and Sefwi Presbyteries and are expected to discuss breast health issues and organise outreach programmes in collaboration with Breast Care International(BCI) and other appropriate institutions to help improve community awareness of breast health screening resources.
Organised by BCI, the arrow-head of the nation’s crusade on breast cancer in concert with its sister health facility, Peace and Love Hospital, the workshop will enable breast health promoters to engage their congregations and local communities by encouraging women to examine their breasts regularly, seek clinical breast examination done by trained health care professionals, help to demystify breast cancer and assist in early detection and prompt action.
Targeted at extending BCI’s vision of promoting early detection of breast cancer in the local communities, the ultimate goal is to equip women with basic breast health knowledge for them to act as promoters of proper breast health care.
Topics discussed at the workshop included anatomy and physiology of the breast, pathology of breast cancer, principles and practice of breast cancer awareness creation and how to refer women with breast problems to appropriate health care institutions.
In an address, Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, President of BCI and Chief Executive of Peace & Love Hospitals Limited, commended PMWA for being the premier organisation to initiate the programme with BCI and asked other churches and women groups to follow the example for the benefit of the people they serve.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong, who was the Guest of Honour, praised BCI and Peace and Love Hospital for their pioneering role in the fight against breast cancer in the country.
Dr Yeboah Ewudzi, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health Services, decried the absence of laws in the country to prosecute those who falsely claim to have the cure for all types of ailments including cancer.
He said, “such people only throw dust into the eyes of the people and delay their quest to seek proper treatment at the hospital”.
Mrs Nicola Manning, Chief Executive Officer of Inter-commercial Impex Limited, manufacturers of sanitary products and sponsors of the workshop, renewed the company’s commitment to empowering Ghanaian women through education, awareness and loving support, saying “This latest BCI project truly demonstrates all these facets”.
Mrs Rosekel Omenyo, President of PMWA, was optimistic that the training would equip the members with the appropriate knowledge and skills to enhance early detection of breast problems for treatment.
