Amoawi (Ash.), June 14, GNA - The Martin Luther King Memorial Clinic in Accra in conjunction with a medical team from the Respiratory Therapy Department of the Weber State University, Ogden, United States (US), undertook a day's eye-screening exercise at Amoawi, a predominantly farming community in the Offinso District on Tuesday. They screened the people for cataract and other vision problems. In addition, they examined them for respiratory and other health problems and gave them free drugs and health education.

Dr. Owusu Achaw Duah, Chief Executive Officer of the Martin Luther King Clinic, said this was part of an on-going health care programme between his facility and the US Team to help improve the quality of health of the people, particularly those in deprived rural communities. Another component of the programme, he said was the introduction of tele-health and tele-medicine between his clinic and some rural health facilities using information technology to facilitate health care delivery.

Dr Duah, who is also the Founder of the New Offinso Community Clinic and Maternity Unit, said the visiting US Medical Team had provided some logistics, including medical supplies for the purpose. Professsor (Mrs) Lisa Trujillo, director of clinical education, respiratory therapy department of the university who lead the US medical Team, said they had shipped assorted medical supplies, anatomy models, nursing textbooks and blankets, which would soon arrive in the country for distribution to some hospitals.

She said the beneficiaries are Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Martin Luther King Clinic, New Offinso Community Clinic and Maternity, Offinso Saint Patrick Hospital and Aninwah Hospital, she said would be the beneficiaries. She appealed to Ghanaians to accept the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) by registering with it and to pay their premiums. Professor (Mrs) Trujillo said it was through this that they could be assured of quality health care.

She also drew attention to the need for them to ensure personal hygiene and environmental sanitation, saying, that was the surest way of preventing diseases.