More than 800 screened at St Thomas ‘Know Your Numbers’ event
APPROXIMATELY 830 residents of St Thomas got screened earlier this month at the Rudolph Elder Park in Morant Bay, St Thomas. This reflects the largest number of people screened since the beginning of the #KnowYourNumbers initiative.
The health screening event was hosted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in conjunction with SERHA, National Health Fund, Pooja Points Limited, Social Development Commission (SDC) and Passport, Immigration and Citizenship Agency (PICA). This is the sixth in a series of major outdoor health screening under the #KnowYourNumbers intervention.
Residents benefited from core health services which included screening for body mass index, blood sugar, hypertension, diabetes, vision test, cholesterol, HIV/syphilis, oral health services, such as dental checks and denture impressions were also offered.
Dr D’Oyen Smith, senior medical officer of health for the St Thomas Health Department, explained that the “turnout indicated that persons had a genuine interest in being screened so that they could identify any kind of corrective lifestyle or medical interventions necessary that would improve their quality of life and help them live longer. We are grateful for the partnerships and community members who participated. The commitment of our staff must be commended”.
Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton was on location and highlighted the importance of #KnowYourNumbers.
Tufton said that “you don’t know how healthy you are until you go to your doctor and do your proper health checks”.
He added that the #KnowYourNumbers campaign is very important as it encourages Jamaicans to monitor key indicators, such as blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, body mass index and other vital health metrics. By understanding and regularly monitoring these numbers, individuals can take proactive steps to manage and improve their health status before it becomes critical.
He congratulated the hardworking team from the St Thomas Health Department for screening the highest number of persons since the start of the #KnowYourNumbers campaign.
The #KnowYourNumbers events are planned in partnership with community l eaders and civic society groups to support screening and targeting the most vulnerable populations in Jamaica, especially people who live in remote, difficult, underserved, and hard to reach areas.