By Laudia Sawer
Tema, Aug. 08, GNA – The Tema Industrial Lions Club has adopted the Diabetic Clinic of the Tema General Hospital and would raise GH¢1,000,000.00 to refurbish it.
Mr Abraham Teye Boyetey, President of Tema Industrial Lions Club, who announced this said the club would work together with the Hospital to raise the needed money to refurbish the place and provide a surgical theatre for the Diabetic Clinic.
Mr Boyetey noted that currently, due to the lack of surgical theatre at the clinic, doctors had to refer surgeries to either the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, 37 Military Hospital, or the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
He noted that as an industrial chapter, they would seek support from industries in Tema to help foot the bill for the theatre adding that, almost all health cases in Tema and beyond might end up at the Tema General Hospital, therefore, the need to help provide some of their infrastructure and logistics.
Meanwhile, the club has presented some assorted items to the diabetic clinic, which stethoscopes, blood pressure apparatus, glucometer and strips, tabletop fridge, hand tissues, toilet tissues, and liquid hand wash.
Dr Anthony Richard, Tema General Hospital Medical Director, who received the items on behalf of the hospital commended the club for the initiative to adopt the Diabetic Clinic and its plans for providing its pressing needs.
He said the items would be used judiciously, while calling on other organizations and individuals to adopt or support other departments of the hospital.
The Diabetic Clinic takes care of patients who have been diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus and carries out follow-ups for those who have the condition. It also does nutritional counselling as it has a Dietician and Nutritionist attached to the clinic.
The TGH Medical Director added that health officials at the clinic undertake Community outreach and radio programmes to educate the populace on the sickness, saying, even in the hospital at the Out Patient Department (OPD), they educate both diabetics and non-diabetics to ensure that they took good care of themselves.
Dr Richard disclosed that the Hospital on an annual average, diagnosis about 200 new diabetes cases, however, that all the cases were not from the Tema Metropolis, as patients from Ashaiman, Prampram, Ada, Volta, and their environs accessed services at TGH.
He said for early detection and management, people must at least once a year visit the Hospital for check-ups, while advising people with diabetes history in their family to eat a balanced meal, exercise regularly, rest very well, and importantly go for constant medical checks.
Mr Ian Okwei, Chairman of the Communications and Marketing Committee of the Club, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema that the Industrial Lions Club was a specialty club focusing on Lions Service thematic areas with specific reference to the effects of diabetes.
Mr Okwei explained that the club’s mission was to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace, and promote international understanding.
GNA