Southerners were treated to a day of free health care at the Carnegie Free Library, San Fernando on November 26. The initiative was born out of an observation by promoter of the Victoria Week Committee, Carl Lezama, who collaborated with the library on the venture. This year's theme-Healthier City, Healthier Life-was done with the health interest of the people of San Fernando in mind.
"There are a lot of unscrupulous people who are not taking their health seriously. Those who do not promote good and healthy habits. Even the vendors, many of whom don't follow the right procedures as they carry out their vending trade on the streets. "People have to understand that they can't continue to be living their lives helter, skelter.
"Life is serious; and people have to take time out to respect that, and having this health fair was one way to sensitise the citizens about living healthy," Lezama said. He said the fair had a good turn out, but because the library could not accommodate a large number of people, some organisations had to be left off the invitation list. But those who attended, he said, benefitted from the available services.
"The fair also afforded people who can't usually afford to have their eyes, heart and blood pressure tested a chance to get one done free of charge." Some of the services offered at the fair came from the Red Cross Society, the Cancer Society of Trinidad and Tobago, the Family Planning Association, Value Optical, T&T Fire Services, and Healthy Living.
Lezama said that the committee was also planning to do a ten-minute documentary, which would highlight the concerns of the people of the city of San Fernando.