ORANJESTAD – With over 350 persons attending the activities of St. Eustatius Health Fair held on Monday and Tuesday at the Mike van Putten Youth Centre the event was called a major success by organizers while visitors rated the event as excellent. Under the theme "Balance your Health", approximately 16 exhibitors came together under one roof to provide the local community with information about the diverse aspects of health care services available of the island and information prevention. On Monday evening a good number of residents attended a series of informative lectures on prostate cancer, hypertension, diabetes & dialysis and breast cancer conducted by respectively dr. George Odongo, nurse Dione Trustfull and dr. Sharda Baboe. The Fair was opened officially by Commissioner of Healthcare Koos Sneek.
The exhibition held on Tuesday offered the possibility for direct one on one interaction between visitors and exhibitors. Table stands were stocked to capacity with information on subjects ranging from HIV/AIDS prevention, dental care, physical therapy, sanitation, education care issues, family and youth aid, self breast examination and much more. A great attraction for adult visitors was the free blood pressure and blood sugar testing carried out by the nurses and doctors of the St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation. Students of 5 schools were in attendance in large numbers and were excited about the exercise equipment on display and their use, the ambulance tour and the lecture by the Fire Department of how to prevent fire in the home.
The St. Eustatius Health Fair was a joint initiative of the St. Eustatius Health Care Foundation, The Health Insurance Office (ZVK) and RCN. A similar Health Fair takes place on Saba on Thursday and Friday of this week. On Thursday evening (tomorrow) Dermatologist dr. van Duren will lecture at Child Focus from 6.30 until 8.00 PM. On Friday January 11th Island Governor Jonathan Johnson and Commissioner of Healthcare Bruce Zagers will officially open the Saba Health Fair exhibition at the Sunny Valley Youth Centre in The Bottom at 09.00 AM.
Persons attending the fair can win attractive door prizes (blood pressure monitor, scales, and food processors, juicers, and blood sugar testers, books on healthy living, eating and prevention). A prize will be drawn every hour from the completed a surveys. From these surveys organizers can learn how those in attendance have experienced the fair.