Divine Kporha: We left UHAS for three (3) days to join the people of Tinjase in Nkwata North (Northern Volta) amidst the poor road network and unavailability of network.
We spent these 3 days with our people, enjoyed meals prepared for us, had comfortable sleeping hours and finally organized a Free Health Outreach for community members (Checking Vitals including BP, Body Mass Index- BMI, Rapid Diagnostic Test- RDT for Malaria Parasites, Screening for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Blood Glucose, Urine Chemistry, Diet and Medical Consultations and Health Education on key health indicators related to the community at large.
We had awesome results and attendance was great.
The smiles on their faces and the sadness on the faces of the children when we were departing speak volume.
Let’s all get involved to save life in every little way one at a time.
Health is indeed mightier than Wealth.
Background
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Tinjase is a farming community in the Nkwanta North district in the Volta Region. Majority of the indigenes in this community are peasant farmers who depend greatly on produce from their farms for economic welfare. Health-wise, the community can boast of a Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound which serves as a primary healthcare center to the community.
These indigenes would prefer to receive quality health care at the nearest hospital. This notwithstanding, remains but a fleeting illusion. The population of Nkwanta North District according to the 2010 Population and Housing Census stood at 64,553 representing 3.0 percent of Volta Region’s total population (www.statsghana.gov.gh, 2010).
Out of the said population census, Tinjase alone had a population of 2,069 with 1, 020 males, 1,049 females, 305 households and 240 houses making it one of the largest communities in the districts.
Awe-inspiringly, this community and the Kpasa District at large have no Hospital. As such, the collateral damage due to non-availability of a hospital may include high crude death rate, high infant mortality rate, high maternal mortality rate morbidity, prevalence of tuberculosis, viral hepatitis, parasitic/bacterial infections. Low birth weight, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer incidence, chronic pain, (depression, acute and chronic microbial infections, waterborne, foodborne diseases. A proportion of low birth weight, prevalence of anaemia, proportion of overweight individuals, social and mental health challenges (Hyder, Puvanachandra, & Morrow, 2012; Larson & Mercer, 2004; Robine, 2003).