By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, Sept. 30, GNA – Ghanaian youth have been urged to take greater responsibility of their health.
They should also appreciate the important role they could play in supporting healthcare delivery through voluntary blood donation and other health education programmes.
Ms. Comfort Asoogo, the Director, Nursing and Midwifery Services at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), in Kumasi, made the call, at a free health screening and blood donation exercise, organised by the KATH for students as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations.
The exercise aimed at promoting preventive healthcare among students and young people, while creating awareness about the importance of voluntary blood donation and healthy living.
More than 200 students were expected to be screened on Hepatitis B, blood sugar, oral examination, body mass index, blood pressure and donation of blood for the KATH blood bank.
Students also had the opportunity to receive health education and counselling from healthcare professionals.
The occasion was also used to educate the students on the importance of regular health screening, early detection of illnesses and seeking medical attention whenever they experienced unusual symptoms or health concerns.
It formed part of the KATHs efforts to strengthen its relationship with the youth, while using its 70th anniversary celebration to promote health awareness beyond the hospital environment.
The blood donation component of the programme was particularly aimed at encouraging eligible students to develop positive attitudes towards voluntary blood donation.
According to Miss Asoogo, blood was an essential resource in healthcare delivery and was required in the management of various medical conditions, surgical procedures and emergencies.
Patients involved in road traffic accidents, women experiencing complications during pregnancy and childbirth, individuals undergoing major surgical procedures and patients with certain medical conditions may require blood transfusion as part of their treatment.
She encouraged eligible students to consider blood donation as a form of community service and to encourage their colleagues, family members and friends to support voluntary blood donation initiatives.
She said maintaining adequate blood stocks was important to ensure that healthcare facilities could respond effectively when patients require an urgent transfusion.
Ms. Asoogo advised the students to adopt healthy lifestyles, including eating balanced diets, engaging in regular physical activity, getting adequate rest and avoiding behaviours that could negatively affect their health.
Again, she encouraged the students not to ignore persistent symptoms or rely solely on self-medication, but to seek appropriate medical advice when necessary
She encouraged them to become more conscious of their health and to make informed decisions about their wellbeing.
Ms. Asoogo said over the past seven decades, the KATH had grown into a major referral and teaching hospital, providing specialised healthcare services to patients from the Ashanti Region and other parts of Ghana.
The hospital also plays an important role in the training of healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and other health workers, while contributing to research and the advancement of medical practice.
The anniversary activities, she said, therefore sought not only to celebrate the hospital’s achievements over the past 70 years, but also to strengthen its relationship with the public and encourage greater community participation in healthcare initiatives.
Mr. Christian Oppong Mensah, Blood Donor Recruiter at KATH, encouraged the public, particularly eligible blood donors, to continue supporting voluntary blood donation initiatives to help maintain adequate blood supplies for patients in need.
He said the exercises for students helped to combine health education, preventive care and voluntary service in support of the hospital’s broader healthcare mandate.
Ms. Afua Sarpong Owusu and Master Kwame Twumasi Poku, both students of the Anglican Senior High School, donated blood for the second time, and urged other students and the youth to help restore blood at the hospital.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Benjamin Mensah
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