By Vanessa Braithwaite
SCORES in Linden received medical check-ups when Region 10 Members of Parliament (MPs) Jermaine Figueira and Valerie Patterson hosted a Youth Wellness Day targeting the young in the town. The event was held at the Region 10 Business Centre. It was hosted after the MPs became aware that many youths within the community were not as health conscious as they should be.
The wellness day offered the youths a wide array of free health services and counselling.
“Many of them are not aware of their status whether it is HIV, blood pressure levels, diabetes, sight strength, BMI, etc,” Figueira observed.
Breast examination and counseling services were available to the youths.
Doctors from the Mackenzie Hospital willingly did a variety of medical examinations and testing while referral cases were sent to the Mackenzie Hospital for more detailed examination.
Meanwhile, several youths expressed appreciation that the MPs had put their interest at heart and they promised that they would now be more health conscious.
One young woman, Shanteal Alleyne, who received hypertension and diabetes testing, said she was of the opinion that because of her slim figure those chronic illnesses would never affect her.
However, based on the counselling she received, she decided to take the tests and has vowed to continue doing so on a regular basis.
“I have embraced this initiative and [I am] happy that I am now aware of the consequences of not being conscious of your health status,” she said.