Region Three Health and Wellness Club launched

Apr 08, 2014 News

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 – as World Health Day is observed

As part of the local observance of World Health Day, which was celebrated globally yesterday, the Region Three Health and Wellness Club was officially launched at the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara car park.
The occasion was characterised by a mini-fair, which saw the attendance of several regional officials and a number of students who were enlightened to the importance of maintaining good health.

Commissioning the Club, yesterday, was Regional Health Officer, Dr. Nadia Coleman, who in speaking of the World Health Day slogan “Small Bites, Big Threats” pointed out that insect vectors, such as mosquitoes, flies and bugs, have the potential of spreading diseases that can cause serious health problems.
And these problems, according to Dr. Coleman, are very preventable once persons seek to protect themselves and families.  Moreover she noted that efforts to prevent vector-related problems could be addressed by “simple measures such as putting down your bed nets, wearing long sleeve shirts and trousers and using insect repellent and most importantly the sanitation of your environment.”
And since “Health is our nation’s Wealth,” Dr. Coleman noted that “we are trying to ensure that as many people, as possible, maintain a healthy status throughout their lifespan.”
As such she is hopeful that the Health and Wellness Club will be instrumental in helping to educate the Region Three population of the needful measures that can be taken to help improve their health.
The objective of the Club is to ensure that persons are firstly aware of what the term health means; to ensure that people receive correct and adequate information on prevention and management of health conditions; to teach people how to be take responsibility for their own health; to work in collaboration with the health sector and other Ministries and agencies in the Region to improve the health status of people in the Region and to visit residences and homes of the elderly and differently able persons to make sure that they are receiving adequate care.
The Health and Wellness Club is in fact an off-shoot of the Region Three Diabetic Association, which according to its President, Nurse Joan Barry, was initially focused on extensively raising awareness in communities about diabetes.  The Association was formed in 2011.
However, based on a suggestion from Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, a decision was made to expand the work of the Club whereby the focus was not merely on diabetes but rather on chronic diseases as a whole.
“We thought that it was a good idea to come together as health workers within Region Three and see how we can address not only diabetes but health on the whole,” said Barry as she elaborated on the genesis of the Club.

The Club, according Barry, is designed to help persons gain a better understanding of every aspect of health even as she alluded to a number of troubling health challenges that have been surfacing in the society of recent.
She made reference to the fact that there are even young children who have suicidal tendencies, pointing out that “they need somebody to talk to, they need somebody to guide them; sometimes they have parents but they don’t want to share with them but if they can find somebody else who is willing to talk with them we will find that we will have a reduction in the number of these cases that are taking place today,” Barry speculated.
According to her, the Club has on board a variety of expertise ranging from those able to sensitise the public about fitness and nutrition to sexual and reproductive health, as well as various infections and diseases.
“We are going to work for the betterment of our people in Region Three; we want to have a healthier population in Region Three, we want to ensure that there would be less people coming to our hospitals and our health centres for treatment because if they know what to do they will do it…
“We are aiming to do more work in terms of prevention of diseases and this is the reason why we are embarking on this Health and Wellness Club,” asserted Barry.
And in order to effectively get the message of Health and Wellness into the Society, Barry noted that particular focus will be directed to the schools. Moreover, the Club has already forged relations with the Regional Education Department, the Ministry of Health, the Interline Fitness Gym as well as sections of the Media.
Among the Executive members of the Club are Kamini Mahadeo, Vice President; Kimani Urlin, Secretary; Wanaka Dove, Assistant Secretary; Savitrie Chandrabose, Treasurer and Kevin Reddy, Assistant Treasurer.
Committee members include Dr. Brook, Malini Rampersaud, Muriel Moore, June Statia Nedd and Simone Osborne.
Also speaking at the forum yesterday was Regional Chairman, Julius Faerber, who also amplified the importance of persons keeping their environment in conditions that are enabling to good health.
A message from the Ministry of Health’s Director of Vector Control Services, Dr. Rayaud Rahman, was also read by the Region Three’s Regional Environmental Health Officer, Dr. Deoramdeen Persaud.
Following the launch of the Club, students and passersby were exposed to edifying information at the mini-fair which highlighted various important aspects of health.

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