MORANT BAY, St. Thomas:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Bureau of Women's Affairs Dr. Glenda Simms has expressed concern over the limited number of men in Jamaica who are seeking medical care for their illnesses.
Speaking in an interview, Dr. Simms said that "of interest and concern to us at the Bureau of Women's Affairs is the fact that more and more women will attend health fairs, but we are not seeing the men, and the men are also in very poor state of health, especially those who are poor, isolated and are in rural areas."
Dr. Simms was attending a health fair in Bath last week.
Meanwhile, Intern Medical Specialist Dr. Deloris Gayle Barton called on the medical field in Jamaica to provide patients with more information on their illnesses so that they can better care for themselves. Dr. Gayle Barton, from the Caribbean Mission in New Jersey, told The Gleaner that "most patients do not understand the disease process, we need to let the patients know exactly what the nature of their problems are." She said many patients come in with diagnosis but they do not know what cause them.
As a recommendation, Dr. Gayle Barton said the Ministry of Health should embark on an educational programme islandwide. "They could have seminars in communities on hypertension for example it would create a great eye-opening and make patients better able to care for themselves," she said.
