Herbal Students embark on health screening at Donyina

The community health screening and outreach was held at Donyina, in the Ashanti region of Ghana, on Tuesday 7^TH November, 2017. The event which was in fulfilment of the constitutional provisions with respect to the objectives of the Ghana Herbal Medical Students’ Association (GHEMSA), KNUST enjoyed support from Rock care Clinic Limited.

Over 300 inhabitants benefited from the free health screening in response to publicity made weeks to the event, coupled with a float throughout the township an hour to the screening by student volunteers. The Health screening process included: entry of demographics (like name, age, weight, etc), Body Mass Index (BMI) determination from height and weight, Blood Pressure determination, Blood Sugar determination, Blood groupings, Hepatitis B screening, counselling, and dispensation of  herbal products from Rock Care Clinic. Hepatitis B Vaccination was also administered at reduced prices.

Outreach to schools within the Donyina Township was held simultaneously with the health screening. It saw the education of students on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene related diseases including; Malaria, Cholera, Diarrhoea, etc. Distribution of health tracts was carried out to augment the outreach process. The students were also enlightened on the Bachelor of Science Degree in Herbal Medicine and the need to opt for the programme in the future. Authorities at the visited schools were thankful to the Herbal Medical Students from the Department of Herbal Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, KNUST.

President of GHEMSA KNUST, Mr Oduro Kwabena Patrick, in an interview commended the student volunteers who showed up for the event which he described as successful. He was also appreciative of the Health Committee’s efforts headed by Mr Nketiah Reinhard, in putting together the screening. Mr Patrick commended Rockcare Clinic Limited for their continual support of the Association’s Health Screenings and called for more of such support from other herbal industries and hospitals/clinics in the future as the Association plans to move beyond community outreaches to the district level, and subsequently, the national level.

The Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of GHEMSA, Mr Odoom Samuel, also in an interview held, addressed the misconceptions associated with the BSC Herbal Medicine Programme and Herbal Medicine Practice. According to Him, Activities like Health Screenings gives Herbal Medical Students the opportunity to experience what lies ahead of them in Clinical Practice, after the program, internship, and professional qualifying exams. According to him, The Herbal Medicine Degree Programme remains unique as it trains Health care Professionals (Herbal Medical Officers) in aspects of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences coupled with the traditional Ghanaian Herbal Medicines, the scientific way, to solve health conditions orthodox medicine have failed to address. He called on the government to show commitment towards the development of Herbal medicine by ensuring that every government health facilities across the country own herbal units or clinics as a matter of urgency. He also pleaded with the government to help place much relevance on the license of Herbal Medical Officers /Medical Herbalists through appropriate agencies to foster the needed development in the herbal industry.

Rock Care Clinic Limited is a clinical diagnostic and effective treatment centre with several branches nationwide. They are also manufacturers and suppliers of highly efficacious herbal medicines like Genecure 4-4-2 Capsules, Paakum Capsules, Roc Tonic, and Roc Koo Laxative.