adminCALLS for all of us to take regular health checks are always welcome.
Recently, health checks were conducted in some parts of Harare.
This is a noble and important initiative since it helps us to detect early signs of health is-sues.
Detecting health challenges, at an early stage, means chances of survival, or effective treatment, are very high.
However, the fear of the unknown is forcing most people to shun voluntary health checks.
Most people prefer having health checks when they are already seriously ill.
According to health experts, age, lifestyle choices and family genes determine how we need these regular health checks in life.
This makes undertaking regular health checks a must to enable us to detect health chal-lenges early.
The latest call for regular checks was made last weekend during a health expo held in Ha-rare South.
This catered for residents in Southview, Hopley Farm and Ushewokunze suburbs.
The expo was sponsored by Fidelity Park Surgery, in conjunction with Hilltop Radiology Services and Diagnopath Services.
There was a massive turnout where some people ended up revising their lifestyle choices after discovering they had some chronic illness which needed to be managed.
Pregnant mothers, who attended the expo, were also advised on things they need to do, until they give birth, for the benefit of their unborn children and their own health.
Some of the diseases, which were detected during the expo, include chronic respiratory challenges, asthma, hypertension and heart disease.
It also emerged that some of the people were not aware that they were suffering from these diseases.
This has prompted some of them to change their lifestyle choices in order to live a longer life.
There are even some of the people who have begun treatment for a number of diseases which were detected during the expo.
At a time when many people are dying in silence, we urged health experts to take such campaigns countrywide.
There are some people who don’t have access to health services, who need this help.
Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, should champion such pro-grammes where the less privileged can get chances of free health checks.
Such campaigns should not be limited to Harare.
There is a need to take similar campaigns to remote areas because this is important in terms of saving our people.
There are some diseases that can be managed if detected early.
We should not let our people die when there are chances for them to manage their health problems.
To ensure that the campaign becomes a success, we also call upon volunteers, players in the private sector, as well as the corporate world, to come on board.
On that note, we would like to thank players in the health sector, who have been assist-ing people get free medical care, as is the case with Fidelity Park Surgery.
A number of players in the health sector should also take a cue from Fidelity Park Surge to save our people.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter