Accra, Aug. 5, GNA - Foundation for African Relief (FAR), a US-based health oriented Non-Governmental Organisation, in collaboration with the Apostolic Church of Ghana on Tuesday organised a medical screening for church members and some residents at Accra New Town, a suburb of Accra. The programme, which saw the diagnosis of all forms of diseases, was organised in conjunction with a medical team from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and it registered 400 people.

Speaking at the programme, Mr. Ras Boateng, Chief Executive of Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, called on all Ghanaians resident in the country to take full advantage of the scheme by registering. "Healthy people make a nation and a healthy nation eventually produces a wealthy nation," he added. He said starting from next month all children below the age of 15 would be registered for free and appealed to all pregnant women to take advantage of the free medical care instituted by the government for them. The CEO commended the Apostolic Church of Ghana and FAR for their initiative to compliment the work of government in giving quality medical care to Ghanaians.

Dr Alice Coombs, Chairperson of FAR, said after the health screening, her outfit would also register those who had not registered with the NHIS for free. She said since the inception of FAR, it had sponsored a lot of medical doctors to go to Harvard Medical School in the US for training, sponsored workshop for medical practitioners in the country and donated medical equipment to health institutions. She said the programme, which was on a pilot basis, would be extended to other parts of the country as well.

Dr Coombs thanked the Ghana AIDS Control Programme for donating 1,000 HIV test kits towards the programme and urged the people to always take preventive measures against diseases and not wait till they fell sick. Mr. John Adotey, President of the Apostolic Church of Ghana, said Accra New Town was chosen because it was a deprived and a densely populated area. He expressed his appreciation to the medical team and called on the people to be health conscious.