A scene from the screening exercise
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Halo Medical Services, Dr Hamza Asumah, has observed that confined populations are a group at high risk for hepatitis B because the disease is infectious.
According to him, some people experiencing acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection appear to have a history of camping just like people in orphanages.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE during a free hepatitis B screening and vaccination exercise organised by his organisation, in collaboration with Eno Heritage Foundation, at the Cherubs Orphanage Home in Kumasi, Dr Asumah stated that offering HBV vaccination to such people could have a significant effect on public health.
A total of 50 children and 10 caregivers at the home benefited from the exercise that was aimed at preventing proportion of new hepatitis B infections among underprivileged people in society.
Also in attendance were members of the National Optometry Students Association (NOSA) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), who conducted a free eye screening exercise for the inmates.
Dr Asumah explained that the orphans do not only need food items and suppliers that are donated regularly to the home, but good health as well, for which Halo Medical Services and Eno Heritage Foundation decided to take up the responsibility.
“They live in a community and are prone to contracting this infectious disease. This is why we decided to come and screen them at no cost to any of them, and vaccinate to keep them safe,” he intimated.
The medical doctor asserted that it is also the fundamental right of every orphan to get good health no matter the circumstances in which they find themselves.
The CEO of Eno Heritage Foundation, Ms Eno Safo, added that the project formed part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibilities.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi