Accra,– A free health screening and road safety education exercise have been held for drivers and traders at the Kaneshie Lorry Station in Accra.
It was organised by the Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation in collaboration with Entrance University Hospital, Priority Insurance, Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The exercise, under the Foundation’s programme formed part of its corporate social responsibility and effort to bring healthcare delivery and education to the doorstep of the people.
Madam Harriet Asante, Director of Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation in an interview with the GNA before the exercise begun, said there were a lot of health issues and road accidents occurring especially as the year came to an end.
“It is necessary we educate drivers on road safety and also on the need to get insurance policies to cover them when sick or involved in an accident”.
She said about 150 drivers and mates would be registered onto the NHIS for free and those who had misplaced the cards would receive new ones.
She added that it was the Foundation’s hope to screen over 500 drivers, their mates and traders around the vicinity on various ailments, especially blood sugar level, Prostate, Hepatitis B, Body mass index (BMI) and breast examinations.
“We will also teach them how to check their own breast as this month marks Breast Cancer Awareness and refer them to the appropriate centres”.
Madam Asante said free medications would be given to beneficiaries after an ailment was detected.
She advised the beneficiaries to take care of their cards and also have regular check-up, and not to wait to be sick.
Reverend Cyril Benedict Crabbe, President of Accident Victims Support – Ghana, said road crashes were on the increase, so the need to intensify education and promotion of insurances to drivers.
He stated that there were four major causes of road accidents, which included over-speeding, overloading, wrongful overtaking and destructive driving.
Reverend Crabbe urge drivers to concentrate while driving and desist from receiving calls, chatting or fighting with passengers, watching videos and sometimes eating.
He cautioned drivers to adhere to road signs and safety precautions, adding that drivers should enrol on insurance policies to secure themselves and their vehicles, so that when the unfortunate occurred, they could get support.
“Road accidents were causing a lot of havoc to the society and the victims, leaving people orphans, school dropouts and physically challenged, so drivers should be more careful when driving,” he concluded.
Mr Ebenezer Kojo Ankomah, Secretary Okaikwei Taxi Drivers Union, said drivers found it difficult to stop work to visit the hospital or even have a check-up, therefore it was a good course for the Foundation to come to them.
He thanked the Foundation and its partners for the good initiative to be educated, screened and asked for more of such exercises.
He advised his fellow drivers to participate in the exercise and also to put their lives and passengers first above the money they intended to get.
Source: Ghana News Agency