Ghana Mission 2009, Trip Report #3
A Day of Healing at the Village
Traditionally, Saturdays are usually set aside for important family rituals such as memorial services, funeral gatherings, naming ceremonies of newborn children, family meetings, etc. None of the above mentioned rituals will take place in this village on this Saturday. Prior to our arrival, the chief had declared this particular Saturday as Health Day in the village. The importance of this particular Saturday as Health Day in the village was very obvious — we were overwhelmed with the number of attendees. We brought about $600 worth of medication donated by Heidi of Woodbury Connecticut UMC.
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It was around 7:30am, an hour before the start of the Health Day, that people of the village started arriving at the clinic post where medication was going to be dispensed. For the next 10 hours, 115 adults, not counting their young ones, would receive some sort of medical attention and free medication. The health concerns ranged from simple body pains, stomach aches, cuts and bruises, to serious ulcers, hypertension, and several malaria-related illnesses. As much as we tried to provide healing to everyone who was present, it is sad to report that not everyone received medical attention.
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The Ghana government has instituted a national health insurance policy where policyholders receive subsidized healthcare. Unfortunately many Ghanaians — especially those living in rural areas — fall through the cracks and are unable to receive any healthcare. Most of the people of Awombrew are disadvantaged. We have been a great blessing to this community by celebrating this health day and providing the free medicine.