Hundreds of students of Bishop’s High School, Tobago have benefited from free medical examinations as a result of an initiative hosted by past students of the school.
The students recently visited the Canaan/Bon-Accord Health Centre to benefit from free medical examinations conducted by medical professionals.
Mastermind behind the project, Steve Mckain, said he and his wife Bernadine spearheaded the initiative in 2007 after they personally saw the importance of medicals for students and athletes.
“Initially we would convert four classrooms at school into examination rooms. I borrowed ply from a past student Gary Crosby who had a hardware and we will borrow mattresses from the fire, bring pillows and sheets from home and set up the examination room and we would have doctors and nurses who had children going to the school. That’s where we started and several years after Allan Richards suggested why don’t we try to get a health centre.”
With support from the late Dr. Mentor Melville, permission was granted to use the Canaan/Bon-Accord Health Centre. Mr. Mckain noted alumnus of Bishop’s High School, Dr. Maria Dillon-Remy, also supported the venture. He said for 2025, nutritional dietary guidance was included in the initiative.
“The point is if we find one student that is not supposed to be playing because they have a heart issue or some other reason why they shouldn’t be playing, we consider that success. That could be one life saved.”
The Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association’s Tobago Branch also jumped on board the initiative allowing the students to receive complete medical examinations.
Mr. Mckain noted that there is a referral process coming out of the initiative.
“Where there is a foundation there is a baseline record for everything. All their vitals and there is a file that is kept at school so in the event after leaving school they have a medical situation and they need to know what is the history, the history is there. Even if they never went to a doctor privately, there is a file at school from this medical examination.”
The initiative is hosted annually so Mr. Mckain noted that students who engage every year will have five years of medical examinations to compare and take necessary action if required.