Members of the Protective Services flocked to a Health and Wellness event hosted by the Police Health Facility in collaboration with NWRHA and the Community Hospital of Seventh Day Adventists at the St. James Police Barracks on Thursday, in observance of World Diabetes Day.
Police and fire officers took the opportunity to check their cholesterol, vision, blood pressure and access a host of other medical screening services.
Head of the Police Health Facility, Dr. Marie-Joanna Francis, said the event was an opportunity to build a stronger workforce by using preventative medicine.
“As we know, diabetes is a very important chronic disease. In Trinidad and Tobago, the prevalence, or the nature, or the percentage of the population with diabetes is 14.9%.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Community Hospital of the SDA, Dr. Stephen Carryl, said the wellness event was a regular feature offered by the institution.
“It is one of our commitments to help, to improve health care in a non-ransactional environment and a health fair allows you to serve the community where there is no exchange of fees and all of those things that seems to be barriers to accessing health care.”
Dr. Carryl said the Hospital works closely with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Social and Welfare Association (TTPSWA) and offered the services of a nutritionist, conducted pap smears, mental health and social work teams and a general medical team for the event.
“We have also signed an MOU recently with the TTPSWA and it’s because of that relationship we are here to serve the police officers, but also the additional branches that are represented at this location.”
This year’s World Diabetes Day theme is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps.”