Health checks for Grantley Adams staff as HNI promotes healthier schools

The Healthier Nation Initiative (HNI), in collaboration with Ross University, brought free blood pressure and health screenings to teachers and staff at Grantley Adams Memorial Secondary School, highlighting the importance of caring for the people responsible for educating Barbados’ future generations.

The health outreach took place at the St Joseph campus and focused primarily on faculty members, who HNI representatives said often put the needs of students ahead of their own wellbeing.

Representative of HNI Foundation Akealii Hall said while much attention is placed on students, educators also need support.

“The children are our future and we need to make sure that they’re healthy,” Hall said. “And then two, the people that are taking care of our future need to be taken care of as well.”

Principal of the Grantley Adams Memorial School Major Andrew Skeete getting his blood pressure checked. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)

He added that teachers and school staff should have easy access to health resources.

“So, we also need to make sure that the faculties of the schools have the best access to these resources and know that people care,” he said. “We’re letting the faculty know, ‘Hey, we care. There’s somebody out here that’s looking out for you, so you can keep looking out for us.’”

The initiative comes as Barbados continues to battle rising rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Recent figures from the Ministry of Health and Wellness show that NCDs account for 83 per cent of adult deaths in the country, with illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular disease placing a significant burden on both families and the healthcare system.

Community Liaison Officer Rosemary Clarke explained that the programme was organised through a partnership with Ross University, whose students are currently participating in an exchange programme.

“We are here at the Grantley Adams school today because we wanted to, in association with Ross University, who have brought some students from Georgia, the University of Albany in Georgia. 

“And they are here on a kind of exchange. We are here today to do blood pressure checks, some health checks for mainly the faculty at the school because we believe that it is needed.”

She noted that teachers often face demanding schedules and may not always find time to monitor their own health.

Deputy Principal of the Grantley Adams Memorial School Captain Randolph Clarke getting his health check done. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)

“Children can be very stressful and they may not get the chance to always have the check when they’re ready,” Clarke said. “But we wanted to facilitate that and also facilitate Ross with their requirements for the students.”

Hall said the outreach is part of a wider effort by HNI to improve health awareness across Barbados and reduce the impact of chronic diseases on future generations.

“We’ve had a lot of problems within Barbados very frequently with the outreach of non-communicable diseases and the effects that they’ve been having on us generation by generation. 

“We will be having a lot more national initiatives as the year goes by. We try to have about two of these every month.”

He added that the organisation remains committed to expanding its community work.

“We’re here to make sure that the entirety of Barbados gets a healthier hand and a helping hand in making sure that they can maintain their proper health.”

(LE)