The Radiological and Medical Sciences Research Institute (RAMSRI) of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) has targeted to screen over 2000 staff of some selected companies in the country this October for  breast cancer and other health related conditions.

The health screening exercise which it is teaming up to do with four other health institutions will form part of the 60th anniversary celebration of the establishment of GAEC.

The partner health institutions are the GAEC Hospital, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical Centre and the International Maritime Hospital.

Already,  the team has been to the premises of the Graphic Communications Group Limited, where over 100 staff were screened for breast cancer, blood pressure, BMI and sugar levels.

Some staff of GCGL going through the breast cancer screening process

The National Petroleum Authority and other institutions will follow.

Speaking to this reporter after the exercise at the GCGL, a Senior Medical Physicist of RAMSRI, Dr Shiraz Issahaku, said every year in October the medical team of RAMSRI usually visited various health facilities to assist them in screening women, and in some cases men for breast cancer.

Visit companies

However, for this year, they decided to do something different and that is the engagement of their clients and the general public on health by visiting companies to get their staff screened for breast cancer and  other health related issues.

He said their services would not end with the screening, explaining that when anybody  had the symptoms after the screening, they would assist the person to get proper diagnosis and treatment if it was confirmed they had breast cancer.

A staff of GCGL being screened for breast cancer

“We initiated and set up the cancer centres of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and Komfo Anokye Hospital, so we have a collaboration with them that anybody with cancer issue that we liaise them with, they will get them treated in their facilities,” he explained.

Seek early diagnosis

Dr Issahaku pointed out that health was only cheaper and easier to deal with when the case was diagnosed early, adding that  in the case of breast cancer management, the stages were five and the first stage was the detection and removal of the small lump from the breast.

However, he said, when patients delayed and they were diagnosed treatment of the case was expensive, and over 99 per cent untreatable.

“In Ghana, the challenge is that we do not go for annual  health check ups.

We only wait when we are sick and go to the hospital.

We are encouraging people to come out and do the health screening because basically, it is in your own interest.

It will benefit you a lot when you have the opportunity to access your health, get diagnosed early enough for treatment to be 100 per cent and cheaper,” he advised.

SOURCE: GraphicOnline