Health Fair Saturday

Saba University School of Medicine will host its Annual Health Fair on Saturday, July 13, from 8:00am to 2:00pm on the university’s campus in The Bottom. The Health Fair’s medical services are completely free and open to all. The organizers announce raffles with prizes for participants and encourage residents to bring their family and friends. The Health Fair organizers encourage residents to be proactive about maintaining their health, as it is common for patients to visit the doctor at the local hospital only when multiple complaints aggravate or when a prescription is needed. Such preventive annual screenings of all body systems reduce the chance that detection of an underlying disease would be missed. The SUSOM Health Fair’s main goal is to give all Saba residents the opportunity to have a complete examination, while for the medical students this is an opportunity to practice their clinical skills under faculty supervision and serve their hosting community. In past such events, one student was assigned to each participant leading many residents to call them “their student” and develop a special affinity with them. In addition to physical examinations, participants will have the opportunity to have their heart and lungs examined by special machines called spirometers and electrocardiograms. With a simple pin-prick of the finger, patients will receive information about their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. For this reason they are advised to come with an empty stomach. They are also encouraged to ask about any ailments or concerns related to personal health or family histories, as students and physicians are instructed to provide meaningful advice on how to manage common diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heartburn, and diseases of the blood vessels (arteries and veins). Participants are encouraged to bring any medication being taken, or a list of the medication, so as to receive one-on-one advice from trained pharmacologists and students. A children’s room will be set up and supervised by responsible students for visiting families with small children. The organizers intend to organize a raffle with the names of Health Fair participants, so the more family members attend the greater the chance to win prizes, such as gift certificates and telephone cards.

Source: “The Daily Herald” 3013-07-09