‘Health and Wellness’ remains the primary focus

Apr 09, 2017 News

---

…as Region Three Club celebrates three years of existence

By Sharmain Grainger

With a mission to educate, support and empower the people of their communities to improve and maintain their overall health and wellbeing through healthy lifestyle choices and behaviours, the concept of the Region Three

Health and Wellness Club was born three years ago.
Driven by like-minded individuals, the Club has been making considerable strides in realizing its goal and has been recognized as an ever-evolving staple in Region Three.
I know this because I have personally covered a number of their outreaches and I am very acquainted with many of the Club’s members who, only for the love of raising awareness of the importance of being healthy, or by helping in some small way to ensure that people are healthy, have remained committed to this outstanding movement.
Having been formed on April 7, 2014, a day designated as World Health Day, the Club last Friday [on the occasion of yet another World Health Day] celebrated its third anniversary.
It wasn’t with fanfare or any ceremonial event, but with the members hosting yet another of their popular community outreaches that have brought health services directly to people, even as they were enlightened of ways to remain healthy.
But staying dedicated and committed to such a movement that is sometimes fraught with challenges – such as limited support – cannot be the easiest thing to achieve, but yet for some reason the members of this Club continue to rally on with the common goal – making Region Three the healthiest Region in Guyana.
The only incentive for members is helping people, and the sense of pride that follows when they [people] readily accept and adopt the healthy lifestyle messages shared.
Since the Club is a Non-Governmental Organisation, its members are not financial compensated for their time and effort spent in the field. This has over the past few years translated to them setting up tent many times at strategic locations such as the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling to offer health services or by visiting schools to enlighten the young population of how they, from that stage, can choose a healthy path.
The Club has also over its years of existence collaborated with a number of organizations, especially churches and the Region Three Health Authority to get its messages out. However, even with collaboration, funds have always been something that the Club, like any other community-focused organisation, has continually required. This has seen the members conducting a number of fundraisers and even reaching out to corporate Guyana for support.
In fact, based on a recent exchange I had with a member, the Club’s existence could not have been sustained without the support of a number of individuals and organisations. This, of course, has included the endorsement of the Ministry of Public Health, the Region Three Health Administration, and Food for the Poor Guyana Inc. among others.
Added to this, there have been individuals, who, although they are not members of the Club, have willingly given their support to outreach activities whenever called upon. These have included Medex Alisa Trotz, who has been offering her VIA screening ability; Ms. Marcia Barker – Dental Services; those of the Sears 20/20 Vision Centre for their eye-testing services and Dr. Penelope McCallun, a General Medical Officer. They have all been just as committed to the Club’s work as the members are to wage war against bad health.
Among those who have been in the forefront of this health-focused movement is the Club’s current Chairperson, Ms. Donette Castello. Castello, who works at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, considers herself a people’s person, who simply relishes the idea of being able help, encourage and give counsel others. She moreover disclosed “the Club means so much to me; it brings out the person I am inside…It also helps me to be more health conscious, and such opportunity is given to the people I meet at various outreaches.”
The Club’s Assistant Chairperson, Ms. Nadina Taharally, shared similar sentiments. As a Gym Instructor she brings a very important aspect of healthy living to the Club and, according to her, “the Club means a lot to me, because I like helping people and by volunteering my time I’ve been given the opportunity to do just that.”
Treasurer Kimani Urlin, another staffer of the West Demerara Regional Hospital, has been an X-Ray Technician for a number of years. According to him, “being a part of the Club provides him the privilege of helping people to become aware of the need to take charge of their health.”
Ms. Malini Budnarine, the Club’s Secretary, who also works at the West Demerara Hospital, but as a TB Outreach worker, in a few words revealed “it is inspiring being a part of the Region Three Health and Wellness Club, to provide services to the people in the Region.”
“It is a wonderful experience – giving time, educational awareness of health issues and voluntary service,” said Ms. Sanella Charles, of being a member of the Club.
But according to Shonnell Douglas, yet another member who works as a Rehabilitation Assistant at the West Demerara Hospital, “the Club means so much to me, because I can use my skills to help stroke patients and other members in the society get better.”
And then there is Ms. Dennise Thelman, a Senior Medical Technologist, who believes that her decision to become a member of the Club was an excellent move. According to the West Demerara Hospital staffer, “I enjoy going on the outreaches and interacting with the people, giving educational awareness, sharing my expertise and my time with people in various communities, because to me, helping someone feel better is a good feeling.”
Member Ms. Melissa Thomas, another Medical Technologist at the West Demerara Hospital, said, “the Club means a lot, because I am given a chance to reach out to people, some of whom cannot even afford to access proper health care.”
Tasked with sharing nutrition and information, conducting nutrition assessment and counseling members of the public, has been the role of yet another member, Ms. Norma Howard. This role suits her just fine, since she is a retired Public Health Nutritionist, and had done just this for many years.
According to Howard “when the prevalence of chronic diseases is considered, community intervention is one method of ensuring that the relevant information gets to the target communities. I feel that the Club provides the medium for interaction with the community. Through community activities, we are able to raise public awareness of the chronic diseases [diabetes, hypertension], obesity and other public health issues. We also strive to empower community members with the knowledge and skills to manage and/or prevent these health conditions.”
The Public Relations Officer of the movement is yet another individual who has spent many years in a key position within the public health sector. She is Ms. Joan Barry, who retired as one of the country’s Chief Nursing Officers. Understandably she brings a great deal of health knowledge to the Club and is convinced that “the surveillance experience that I gained after retiring has positioned me to be of even greater help to the Club.”
Even as Barry emphasized the importance of the Club, she shared her belief that the notion of health oftentimes evades the understanding of many people who are convinced that once they have no physical ailment they are healthy. But according to Barry, being healthy is so much more.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), health in its broader sense is in fact a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity.
It is this very definition that the Club has embraced, and has thus been striving to enlighten as many members of the public as it possibly can. The Club has reached hundreds in this quest, and has plans to reach even more as it evolves and expands its services, which have also included testing for blood sugar, blood pressure and BMI, among many others.

---

---