The Importance of Medical Screening

Medical screenings are done to detect possible medical conditions that might not be readily apparent by appearance. While some medical conditions are contagious, every condition has one form of treatment or another and most can
be cured. When people come for screening, they are also counselled on beneficial lifestyle modifications that can improve their general well being. In Nigeria, and the world at large, different establishments/organizations, even
individuals, require a minimal medical screening of members/employees/partners before any commitment is made. Below are the commonly requested screenings, offered at Etta Atlantic, and their specific benefits.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL SCREENING

Most employers take the health of their staff seriously as it is important to the output and growth of their establishments. This screening generally involves counselling by a doctor, physical examination and various laboratory tests, all of which determine the employee’s health status and ability for the position. This does not only ensure a better performance but that the employee is not a potential health risk to other colleagues. At Etta Atlantic Memorial Hospital, we offer a holistic pre-employment medical screening and examination for prospective and current employees to ensure they are medically fit and stay fit.

PRE-NANNY/DOMESTIC STAFF MEDICAL SCREENING

It is usually not easy to allow a stranger into one’s home, especially when you have children in the picture. However, due to the nature of most people’s work, they spend the most of their day out and therefore need someone to take care of some of the domestic chores, including babysitting and cooking. As a precaution, anyone applying to be a nanny or domestic staff need to do a pre-nanny medical screening to ensure that there are no contactable/infectious diseases that can be transferred to the child, whose immunity might not be strong enough to fight back. More people are becoming aware of this fact and are now becoming proactive in ensuring that whoever is employed to work domestically, whether a relative or a stranger, be fully screened prior to employment. Apart from screening for possible disease conditions, counselling is also important to ensure that anyone employed stays healthy and practices optimal hygiene.  At Etta Atlantic Memorial Hospital, we offer a comprehensive pre-nanny/domestic worker screening and counselling.

PRE-MARITAL MEDICAL SCREENING

Pre-marital screening is done by couples before marriage. While most people understand the importance of screening and treating for infectious diseases before marriage, some people are still in doubt on true benefit of knowing your blood group and, particularly, genotype before marriage.

The various genotypes seen in Nigeria, and sub-Sahara Africa at large, include AA, AS, SS and SC. While some combinations of these genotypes can be together and have healthy children, some combinations pose a high risk of having children with sickle cell disease, a life threatening illness, which frequently decreases the quality of life and life expectancy of the individual. Advised combinations include: AA + AA, AA + AS, AA + SS and AA + SC. Any other combination can result in an offspring with sickle cell disease.
Blood group variations include A, AB, B and O, each being either Rhesus positive (+) or negative (-). Unlike genotypes, any combination of blood groups is feasible,with some requiring quite effective medications only during pregnancy. Pre-marital screening and counselling is therefore very important for all intending couples. Already married couples, with or without children with sickle cell disease, would also benefit from screening and counselling to know their options.

PRE-SCHOOL MEDICAL SCREENING

Parents are usually excited about having their young ones start school, be it crèche, kindergarten or nursery school. When a child is starting school or transferring to a new school, a pre-school medical screening is usually required to
ensure the new pupil is free from any contagious disease, which is usually brief and can be easily treated by a doctor. It also points to any special medical need that might be required by the prospective student and ensure he/she is fit for school.