Accra, May 14, GNA - About 1,000 people, including children residing in the Teshie area, are expected to receive free medical services as part of events of the Children's Health Promotion Week that is observed from May 9 to 15 each year.

The programme that Dr Gladys Norley Ashitey, the Member of Parliament for the Ledzokuku Constituency and a deputy Minister of Health initiated, is aimed at bringing healthcare to the doorstep of poor communities and ensure full immunisation of children. Dr Ashitey said free healthcare was crucial to the survival of such poor communities as most of the inhabitants were unemployed as well as aged.

She said she had single-handedly been providing similar services since 1988 until recently when she received support from some organisations and appealed to individuals, churches and organisations to support the programme to ensure quality healthcare for all. Dr Ashitey appealed for support in the form of a mobile clinic to enable her provide continuous and consistent health services to communities.

She said she would soon set up a drug depot at Teshie so that people who could not afford drugs prescribed for them would be assisted. Dr John Yabani, the Accra Metropolitan Director of Health Services, said medical professionals from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Metropolitan Health Directorate and the Kpeshie sub-metro were providing various services including laboratory services. He said children were given vaccination and Vitamin 'A' supplement as well as malaria treatment and advice. Dr Yabani said diseases that could not be treated immediately would be referred to Korle-Bu.

He said the nature of cases presented indicated that most mothers still needed medical services but could not afford them and resorted to herbal treatments that to worsened their situation. 14 May 05