Vodafone Ghana Foundation has begun its annual healthfest with a free health screening exercise for the La and Osu communities.

The event, held on separate occasions, had in attendance over 1,200 people from both communities showing up for the free medical check-up.

The participants checked their blood pressure level, body max index, eye sight, malaria, tuberculosis and oral health.

Health experts also took the participants through sexual health education, while those who had cleft diseases were selected for scheduled operations by ‘Operation Smile’, a non-governmental organisation helping people with cleft to have a normal lip.

Nana Yaa Ofori-Koree, head of Vodafone Ghana, explaining the rationale behind the event, said her outfit is tasked to give back to society.

“Vodafone has decided to provide sustainable health care service to all parts of the entire country,” she added.

Ms Ofori-Koree said Vodafone Ghana Foundation although has been tasked to engage in other sectors, increasing health concerns have necessitated the need to devote resources to ensure people who Vodafone markets its products to are healthy.

“We have contracted seasoned medical practitioners as part of the team to be on stand-by to give health advice to people who go through the process and have serious health concerns,” she added

Dr Felix Awuriki who has been on board the initiative for the last four years said Vodafone Healthfest is a laudable event as everyone cannot afford medication.

“It provides a different health specialist to a cross section of different kinds of people,” he said.

Healthfest is the Vodafone initiative that affords community health screening initiative that provides opportunity for participants to walk to the doctor.

The screening would continue at other locations nationwide till March 2016.