Guyanese urged to be more health conscious

– as Govt launches ‘Health Expo 2018’

The Public Health Ministry on Wednesday launched its inaugural Health Exhibition aimed at sensitising the public of the services being offered within the public health sector, as well as encourage a more health-conscious citizenry.

‘Health Expo 2018’ is an inter-ministerial and multi-sectorial meeting and will also focus on developing synergies between the Ministry and healthcare providers as well as the public. The exhibition, which is the first of its kind to be hosted by the Ministry, will be held at the Sophia Exhibition Centre between May 30 and June 2, under the theme “Reaching for a better life with good health.”
The expo was officially launched at the Ramada Princess Hotel in Providence, East Bank Demerara, by acting President Moses Nagamootoo, who himself recently underwent triple bypass heart surgery.
According to Prime Minister Nagamootoo, while Government has taken certain steps to ensure that the necessary health services are available for citizens, they too should be health conscious and more proactive in taking care of themselves.
“Health is not only the function of the Government; we have also, as citizens’ functions, choices to make whether we would like to live long, whether we would like to live healthy, whether we would like to live a productive life and here, I believe, that we have to deal with some reality that if we don’t make those choices while we are young and when you have time to do that… life could be cruel to you, life could be cut short, life could be brutal and you could be exposed to those very things that the health system is set up to look into,” Nagomootoo said to the gathering that was packed with students.

The health-conscious Prime Minister, who made his first public appearance since resuming work after his February surgery, went on to urge Guyanese to read the labels of food products before purchasing so that they are aware of the contents/ingredients and the quantity. He noted that companies have a way of trapping consumers with their attractive packaging and ‘all-natural’ or ‘0-sugar’ labels when the products contain ingredients such as concentrates.
To this end, Nagamootoo posited that a forum such as the ‘Health Expo’ will not only educate the public on what to look for and how to read the content tables but also inform companies as to what Government is looking for in products, especially with regards to dietary contracts such as the School Feeding Programme.
Also encouraging healthy diets as part of a larger drive to promote a healthy society was Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence. She said, “We hope to make citizens health conscious and take care of their own health. We want to remind people that they are living in a country that’s blessed with an abundance of food that will ensure we not only live long but healthily.”
Lawrence further posited that in addition to making Guyanese more health consciousness, the expo is also aimed at informing the public of the various health services that are available.
The Public Health Minister further noted that too often persons end up seeking services within the public health sector only after they would have expended large sums of monies at private institutions for services that are being offer free at public institutions.
“There are too many persons within our society who are not au fait with the services provided by the Ministry of Public Health and so this expo is to ensure they are acquainted with the services that are provided and about those services that are provided not only at our local health facilities but also at our primary and tertiary health facilities,” she stated.
According to the Minister, the expo will also provide an interacting platform for the public to give feedback on the public health services and how they can be improved on.
Moreover, during the four-day exhibition period, there will also be a host of activities such as seminars, workshops and a career fair. The latter will aim at closing the human resources gap within the public health sector.