BELIZE CITY–A moderate-sized crowd gathered on the compound of the Matron Roberts Polyclinic, on Magazine Road, in the Pound Yard area of the city, to participate in a health fair which took place from 9:00 in the morning to 3:00 p.m. today, Friday, November 7.
The theme of the health fair was, “Good to go from head to toe”.
Many organizations took part in the fair, including the Diabetes Association of Belize, the Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Unit, the Kidney Association of Belize and The National AIDS/HIV Commission, among others.
At the diabetes booth, attendees were checked for blood sugar levels to ascertain whether their blood sugar was high, which would make them prone for certain diseases. Diabetes that is not detected and treated leads to amputation of limbs, blindness and damage to internal organs, and ultimately, death.
Barbara Johnson, who is a diabetic preventative foot care specialist, said that she is saddened and disheartened by the amount of people suffering with diabetes, whose limbs have been amputated because they have not taken care of themselves.
Johnson is now on a campaign to help people to help themselves so that their condition does not reach the point where they have to have an amputation.
Diabetics can contact her through the Matron Robert Polyclinic, or they can contact her personally.
She said that she is willing to go to their homes to train diabetics to use simple home remedies to take care of themselves, but after her consultation, the diabetics must take care of themselves, and be motivated to live a long, healthy life.
Mental health nurse Lettice Yvonne Haylock said that the Mental Health Unit has been in existence for a long time, with the purpose of treating people suffering from various mental health disorders. The factors are looked at and patients are treated with counseling, or medicines.
Nurse Haylock said that patients are not confined, but are treated at their homes.
Matron Roberts Polyclinic is a popular NHI clinic on Belize City’s Southside and was named the best polyclinic overall for performance by the Ministry of Health last year.