The Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) is playing a role in helping Barbados to fight non communicable diseases (NCDs) through hosting a series of outreach clinics in communities.
On Saturday, the Two Mile Hill, St Michael-based university partnered with Forlam Clinic in the community of Carrington Village for their inaugural event in promoting a more active lifestyle in communities across Barbados.
The community outreach focused on childhood obesity and education on preventing behaviour that lead to childhood obesity and non communicable diseases.
Dr Hedda Dyer, Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Foundations, said the initiative would allow students to participate in community projects where they can give service to Barbadians who would benefit from their knowledge and advice.
“Childhood obesity is a challenge here in Barbados and across the world and is linked to diet and environment. So we are doing our part that we can here to impact positively the community and also students that are interfacing with the community,” Dr Dyer said.
Dr Dyer added that such programmes were important considering that while doctors are usually focused on treating diseases, physicians also hold the responsibility to assist in preventing diseases”.
“The students are here, they are coming in shifts, and they are interfacing. We have various stations. The first one is with one of our students’ interest clubs called the Ross University School of Medicine Pediatric Club for students who have expressed an interest in becoming pediatricians. And another station is for the children and their parents to learn about healthy food plates and portion sizes, and then we move to the calculation of the body mass index,” Dr Dyer explained.
Dr Rhonda McIntyre, Associate Dean of Medical Sciences at Ross University said the prevention of childhood obesity was critical in addressing non communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. (AH)
