The Head of Public Health at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Dr. Linda Quao has encouraged communities to take advantage of outreach programs that bring healthcare closer to them.
She made this remarks during a community health outreach and HIV/AIDS awareness program on December 5, 2025 at Ayigbe Town near UGMC, which featured free health screenings and a blood donation exercise.
The event drew residents and participants together for guidance on preventive health practices while underscoring the importance of regular medical check-ups and knowing one’s health status to safeguard against future complications.
Speaking to Univers News ,she described the initiative as a vital step in bridging gaps in access to healthcare. She noted that many residents often struggle to visit health facilities due to financial challenges or distance, making community-based programs essential.
“For this particular screening, it’s a very good initiative because, you know, there are communities where people find it difficult assessing care because of a lot of reasons, be it financial or even the distance from where the health facility is located. So coming into the community is like giving back to the community. And when you look around, you realise that the persons who live around here, and even from interacting with some of them, they hardly visit the health facility. ” she said.
Dr. Quao explained that the outreach not only offered vital checks and screenings but also created opportunities to refer individuals to nearby health facilities for further care.
She emphasized that such initiatives reassure communities that their health needs are being considered and addressed.
” So coming here is actually very good because we’ve come to the community, we are getting to know their health issues, we are providing free health care, and this will also encourage them to know that some people are thinking about them. And for most people that we’ve seen over here, we have referred some to health facilities, including our facility ”
The exercise formed part of UGMC’s broader public health mission, blending education, medical screening, and blood donation to promote preventive practices and empower citizens with knowledge on health and pressing health issues .
_
Story by Kelvin Owusu Andam| univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Deborah Owusu
