Young Heart Foundation (YHF), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) supporting the less privileged in society, on Sunday organized a health screening exercise for widows, widowers and the aged in Accra.

The NGO, whose primary mission is to support Orphans, Widows, Girl child education and people living with HIV/AIDS, organised the screening exercise to create an opportunity to educate the widows, widowers and the elderly in the Accra metropolis on health issues.

Speaking on the theme: “Let us join Hands to Reduce Widows Suffering by Appreciating them in their Time of Need”, Mr Karim Philips, President of YHF said the exercise is an annual health screening initiative that forms part of the broader safety first campaign to educate widows, widowers and the aged on the various health issues in their daily lives.

“We cannot hold on to another year to screen because each and every day our aged have health issues, so every quarter we undertake this exercise,” he said.

He noted that this year’s exercise was being marked internationally as it coincides with World Widows Day being celebrated globally today, and advised participants to take the advice of resource persons seriously as well as take their medications as prescribed in order to be healthy people.

Dr Nii Darku Duodoo, a Medical Officer at the La General Hospital said the exercise would help detect diseases and symptoms that participants were not aware of, and help cure as well as offer necessary advice on their food and lifestyles, among others.

He said focusing on diseases of the aged and undergoing common assessments like Diabetes, Hypertension, Weight, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) would help ensure the proper health conditions of participants.

Madam Esther Osei, ENT Nurse Specialist at the Madina Polyclinic, said the exercise so far had identified six persons with ear problems whilst five others are suffering from an allergy that had caused nose protruding.

“This is not going to end here, after the exercise we are going to refer all participants who are suffering from any disease to hospitals for proper health treatment and also advise the rest on how to stay healthy in their days and years to come,” she said.

She said hearing loss was part of aging and urged them to report to the hospital for appropriate care any time they feel their bodies were not functioning well.

Madam Joyce Asamoah, a beneficiary, expressed happiness at the exercise and advised the public to patronise such exercises at all times as it would help them to know how their immune systems were operating as well as their health in general.

On his part, Mr Francis Arthur, another beneficiary lauded the YHF for their care of the aged and advised both the old and young to take advantage of the exercise since it was difficult for most Ghanaians to have regular checkups.