The KGL Foundation has organised a free health screening and blood donation exercise in Sunyani as part of activities marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The event, held at the Victoria Park in the Bono Regional capital, drew dozens of residents who turned up to check their health status and support blood donation efforts at the Sunyani Teaching Hospital.
Speaking during the exercise, the Programmes Manager of the Foundation, Nii Ankonu Annorbah-Sarpei, said the initiative was designed to encourage Ghanaians to adopt a culture of regular health screening while contributing to national blood bank needs. “The Foundation believes in empowering the community to attend to their health issues by providing them a platform to find out the status of their health,” he explained.
He added that the outreach coincided with October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month to further promote early detection and prevention. “With October set aside to create awareness on breast cancer, KGL Foundation decided to support the process with this outreach,” Mr Annorbah-Sarpei said.
The Foundation partnered with WAN-HIVE Ghana to deliver screenings for breast cancer, eye conditions, hypertension, blood sugar, and malaria, among other ailments. Mr Annorbah-Sarpei noted that the event was particularly significant because it marked the Foundation’s first major health intervention in the Bono Region.
“Although we have worked extensively across the country, we were yet to touch base with the Bono Region, so it was imperative that we come here to work with our partners to mobilise people, create awareness on breast cancer and encourage regular check-ups,” he said. He expressed satisfaction with the public response, adding, “People are here to check their sugar levels, lipid profiles, ear and eye health, and we are very happy with the turnout, especially with the traditional authority and key regional institutions also participating.”
Head of the Blood Bank at the Sunyani Teaching Hospital, George Osei, described the blood donation drive as a timely intervention. He said blood donation should be treated as a civic duty to support hospitals struggling with shortages. “Blood donation is a civic responsibility which should be incorporated in our educational programmes,” he stressed.
Mr Osei appealed to members of the public to donate blood regularly, adding, “Since blood is not sold anywhere, hospitals rely on voluntary donors to help save the lives of brothers and sisters who are hospitalised.”
The outreach attracted community leaders and residents, including the Benkum Queen Mother of New Dormaa, Nana Akosua Asante Krobea, who praised the Foundation for the initiative. “I not only checked my breasts but also mobilised people to join me in donating blood,” she said.
Regular donor Edward Dwomo Appiah also commended the Foundation for extending its community support to Sunyani, describing the exercise as a vital intervention for public health.
