CONSUMER CONCERNS...UG’s extension offering again impacts

CONSUMER CONCERNS…UG’s extension offering again impacts

Jan 29, 2017 News

PAT DIAL

Last Tuesday, the University of Guyana led by its visionary and creative Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, and his hard working team of academics like Dr Paloma Mohamed, launched the fifth of its public lectures cum discussion series.
The theme of the evening’s offering was Health: Non-communicable Diseases Matter and the large audience was very receptive and lively, responding to the very able and thought-provoking presentations by the specialist panel.
The theme is one in which consumers and the general public have an abiding interest since it concerned their welfare as well as their children’s in a very real way. The presentations and discussion covered the whole gamut of non-communicable diseases and would be far too extensive to be covered in this article.
Among the non-communicable diseases discussed were Heart Disease, Diabetes, Kidney ailments, Dementia and other mental problems such as stress and suicides, and even traffic accidents which are responsible every year for several hundred deaths and permanent physical and mental disabilities.
In an article of limited size, we could not deal with the details of the discussion and will mention only some of the main general conclusions. The University has been able to place permanently on line the proceedings.
Among the main points which came out of the proceedings were that parents must be conscious and alert that their young children could be affected by these non-communicable diseases and that if they are not discovered and treated early, they could become even worse as the child grows into adulthood. Many of these diseases could be cured or eliminated during childhood but become chronic in adults.
When these diseases afflict adults for the first time, they need to seek medical help to know precisely what is afflicting them and begin treatment as early as possible. Very often such diseases could be cured with early treatment. A good example of this dilatory attitude is tooth decay or gum damage which is almost always treated when it is too late.
Diet is important in avoiding and controlling these diseases. A large proportion of the urban population eats “fast food” commonly known as “junk food.” Children in particular are fond of these “junk foods.” These foods consist of a surfeit of sugar, salt and cheap oils which help to break down health.
Even if people do not eat “junk foods” their diet very often is not balanced with enough proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and so on. It is comparatively easy and affordable to have balanced diets and there are numerous programmes and leaflets propagated by the Ministries of Health and Education giving recipes as to what a balanced diet could be. One of the foods to avoid is red meat. Good wholesome food always turns out to be far less expensive than food bought from restaurants.
It has become a culture for sufferers to attempt to treat their ailments with drugs of which they have little real knowledge. One such drug is antibiotics whose reckless and uninformed use could be dangerous and even disastrous. Though there are laws compelling pharmacists to sell certain drugs, including antibiotics, only on a doctor’s prescription, such drugs are usually treated as “over the counter.”
Some ailments could be treated or controlled by less expensive older drugs, as for example sulphur drugs, or even remedies from alternative medicine as against antibiotics. These older drugs and alternative medicines have far fewer side-effects.
In all treatments, discipline in following the doctor’s prescription is a necessity for success. Also, regular and methodical physical exercise helps successful treatment.
There was a strong body of opinion in the proceedings which felt that disproportionate time and funds were devoted to communicable diseases as for example, AIDS and there was a call for equal or more focus be put on non-communicable diseases
The Public Health System with its hospitals and health centres should be made more use of by persons afflicted with these diseases. Many people fail to use this free System because they underestimate the quality of the service offered. They often wait until there is a crisis and then they have to go to expensive private hospitals or return to the Public Health System.

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