In observance of Caribbean Wellness Day, the Ministry of Health hosted its health fair and family fun day aimed at raising awareness of public health threats in Guyana.
The event was held at the Square of the Revolution yesterday and featured a number of organisations including the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and the Child Care & Protection Agency (CC&PA).
Throngs turned out to support the cause and were able to access a number of free services including blood sugar and blood pressure testing, general medical check-up, dental check-up and voluntary counselling and HIV testing.
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), was also present with PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne making a stop at the event.
During a brief meeting with the media, Etienne congratulated the Ministry of Health and the government of Guyana for hosting a successful Wellness Day and emphasised the importance of the observance.
“I’m pleased; very, very pleased…I think that this is one of the ways we can build the awareness… we can offer on the spot screenings for the public,” Etienne said. She continued, “This is very good because yesterday we said it’s a multisectoral approach; it’s not just the Ministry of Health, it’s communities, it’s families, it’s individuals in their respective right working together that can help us to confront this epidemic.”
Etienne further encouraged more initiatives to tackle health issues. “We have to work together to ensure that we can prevent chronic diseases, that we can control them, and treat those who already have them,” Etienne said. “This is an important condition for the lives and well-being of peoples of the Caribbean… but very important for Guyana as well. So, it is important to build awareness around this theme and to ensure that we can mount a response to save the lives of generations to come.”
Etienne has been in Guyana for several days and attended numerous events including visits to the Campbellville Health Centre and some parts of GPHC. These visits, she said, were successful and encouraging.
“I’m encouraged by the work being done in primary health care so we need to ensure that you have the trained health-care workers at the community level and that you are expanding the access to care at that level,” Etienne said. “I noted the work that was
being done at Campbellville and I find it commendable. I’ve seen the immunisation coverage, I’ve seen the way they manage their chronic diseases and I am quite impressed.”
Etienne further said that she was impressed with the diabetic foot centre at the GPHC. This programme helps to treat, manage and follow up with diabetic patients. “And I think this is a good initiative in a country with a high incidence of diabetes,” she added
The health fair came a day after the Ministry of Health launched its non-communicable diseases (NCDs) commission to document chronic diseases’ strains and trends in Guyana.
