GAMA Offers Medical Screening to the Aged

The Ghana Association for Medical Aid (GAMA), based in the US has voluntarily offered free medical care for the aged in orphanage homes in Ghana.

Members of the team were Dr Andrew Baddoo, internal medicine nephrologist (president), Akosua Serwah-Biadu, family nurse practitioner (vice president), Dr Lucy Ankrah, adult nurse practitioner (secretary) and Paula George, family nurse practitioner (vice secretary).

The team which is made up of mainly nurses, social workers and psychologists, treated chronic illness such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, hay fever, cardiovascular disease, hypercholesterolemia, malaria, acute infections, sinus hearing and vision problems, mental health issues and general illnesses.

They also provided services in family medicine, internal medicine, nephrology, ophthalmology, pediatrics, otolaryagology/ allergy among others.

In an interview, the President of GAMA, Dr Andrew Badoo disclosed that the Association decided to return to Ghana, to support the nation and the people with the knowledge and experience acquired through their profession.

He appealed to government to institute measures to encourage medical practitioners living abroad to come home and support in the area of emergency issues that led to untimely death.

According to them, "we are ever ready to come to Ghana and impact knowledge to our fellow doctors and nurses so that together, we will work to save lives.

On the issue of emergency cases such as accidents or any other serious illness, the USA based Ghanaian medical professionals, pledged their preparedness to come down to assist anytime they were called upon by government.

Mr Isaac Kojo Ackon, the SOS Village Director, expressed appreciation to the team and expressed the hope that they would continue to come back to provide health care to the aged.

The Physician Assistant in charge of Tema SOS Clinic, Madam Benedicta Adusei Ocran commended members and executives of GAMA for thinking about the deprived and entreated other institutions to also emulate them.

She urged the government to partner NGOs who are ready to help support the needy by giving them tax exemption on items brought into the country to assist the people.

This is the second time the team has come to work in Ghana. During the four days that the team was in the country, they held medical screening at Ashaiman, Dodowa and Aburi in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions, respectively.

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