MoTP hosts health fair to promote healthy lifestyles among staff
Ministry of the Presidency, Press Release – Friday, October 12, 2018
The Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP), this morning, hosted the ‘We’re at your door’ health fair, an initiative pioneered by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to find and treat persons who may be living with ‘silent killer’ conditions.
The free health fair, which offered tests for blood pressure and sugar, HIV, VCT as well as eye, dental and mental health care, was held at the Ministry’s compound on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
Medical Outreach Officer at the MoPH, Dr. Eulalie Hinds, said that the workshop provides a much-needed opportunity for persons working in offices to get necessary medical screening. “A lot of persons wait until they are in a critical condition; where they would be rushed to the public hospital or emergency room… Some persons make it and some [do not] and that is very sad. That is why we try to do the outreaches, so persons can [begin] proper health care and preventative measures,” she said.
Senior Medex at the Ministry of Public Health, Ms. Karen Sears, like Dr. Hinds, said the medical screenings promote disease prevention. “We’re visiting once a year to give a general check on the staff. We want to know what percentage of persons that [were] screened for different conditions, such as [irregular] blood pressure, [and high or low] blood sugar. If [they] really have a problem, we can [get into] prevention mode… We are trying to prevent conditions such as cervical cancer, breast cancer [and] filaria,” she said.
Further, Government Medical Officer, Dr. Merga Amsterdam, who attended the health fair to screen for cervical cancer, urged MoTP staff members to take advantage of the available medical care. “I hope that everyone would leave here with a better understanding of their health, because that is what we’re promoting. Get your sugar tested. Get your pressure tested… We are still pushing and advocating for all different types of cancer screening… and I would hope that everyone would take charge of their health,” Dr. Amsterdam said.
The ‘We’re at your door’ initiative was started in June 2018 and, to date, has conducted health fairs at the Ministries of Agriculture, Social Protection, and Public Security as well as the Parliament Building.