Afoaman (G/R), May 28, GNA- The Harvest International Mission (HIM), a charismatic church on Saturday gave free medical treatment and clothing to the people of Afoaman, a farming community in the Ga district of the Greater Accra region.

Medical personnel of the Church delivered to the people consultation services and drugs for their ailments, such as malaria, eye problems, general body weakness, worm infestation and diarrhoea. The cost of the drugs was estimated at 40 million cedis, and that of the clothes was 60 million cedis.

The exercise, which is the seventh in a series of annual medical outreach programme of the HIM, formed part of the church's social services in addition to the preaching of the gospel. Briefing newsmen on the rationale of the exercise, Reverend Fitzgerald Odonkor, Head Pastor of the Church said the exercise was to demonstrate to the people that Christianity was not only about preaching spirituality.

"Rather, it is also to serve the material needs of the people and it was time for people to disabuse their minds that Christianity of today was a moneymaking venture."

Rev. Odonkor said the church should use whatever abilities and gifts to reach out to the people, especially the less privileged, and added that the outreach programme gave members of the HIM a sense of fulfilment and an opportunity to show the people that the Gospel had relevance to their lives.

Nii Afuah the VII, the traditional head of the village said the exercise was a welcome relief for the about 1,500 inhabitants of the village, since the nearest health care facility was about three miles from the area.

He called on other churches, as well as charitable organizations to emulate the HIM.

The community expressed appreciation for the gesture, describing it as heaven sent, since they said they did not have money to afford the treatment they were given. May 28 05