While exercise, balanced diet, and healthy lifestyle are essential to one’s health, it is also necessary to go for health check-ups at periodic intervals. A medical check-up is a routine test conducted by a doctor or medical professional to assess a person’s health. Through a series of medical exams, a person would know which parts of the body need more attention, to address any symptoms or other health-related concerns with the help of their doctor. Regular check-ups are also necessary to avoid a number of diseases and catch other illnesses early on. Benefits Prof Joseph Mucumbitsi, President of Rwanda Heart Foundation (RHF), says apart from just doing a general check-up, this also serves to keep one better-advised about their health, thus keeping one healthy throughout their life. He says most health facilities around provide a number of preventive health check-up packages that are beneficial to health. According to one’s age and lifestyle, Mucumbitsi says the medical check-ups might differ. For instance, younger people might need fewer screening sessions than older people since they are relatively healthier. He points out that adults might probably need a health package that includes cardiac screening tests since they are more at risk. Similarly, he notes that women may need additional tests, such as breast cancer screening, and that the key is to make these annual check-ups routine. Mucumbitsi says when it comes to regular medical check-ups, it’s important to understand that it includes other vital screenings, such as physical and mental checks for the purpose of ensuring that your body and mind are fit and fine. “The goal is that in case of any potential risk for certain diseases early on, one can be helped, hence avoid complications in the future as well as minimise medical expenses,” Mucumbitsi says. Evariste Ntaganda, the cardiovascular disease officer at Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), says annual check-ups also help identify blood test results. He explains that it’s normal for people to know about symptoms of common diseases such as cold or a fever as they usually come with physical symptoms. However, he says that this may suffice for minor diseases, but one may be suffering from something else, or worse, which can get complicated without a check-up. On the other hand, Ntaganda says, non-communicable diseases come with no symptoms, and it’s easy for one to stay with the disease without knowing, and end up in hospital later when little can be done. “It is for this reason that we advise people to go for annual medical check-ups to avoid such incidents in the future. “Many people take their health for granted, and most of us rarely visit a hospital or a doctor until we are actually sick and need treatment. This also makes us more likely to make poorer decisions regarding our health, especially when it comes to exercise and the food we eat,” he observes. He adds that going for medical health check-ups automatically make one more aware of their health and what they can do to lead a healthier lifestyle. Ntaganda says going for full body check-ups and other types of preventive examinations regularly helps prevent and avoid diseases, as well as treat other diseases at an early stage. “A medical check-up every now and then ensures that one is healthy and decreases the chances of having to take a sick day, or even get admitted to the hospital,” he says.
