The North Central Regional Health Authority’s Walk the Talk initiative has screened more than 12,000 people as the authority steps up its outreach to identify patients who face a high risk of developing diabetes and noncommunicable diseases.
General manager of Primary Care Services Dr Abdul Hamid said the programme is an aggressive outreach, health promotion and screening initiative geared towards diagnosing, educating and empowering members of the public about the importance of preventing and managing NonCommunicable Diseases (NCDs).
A statement from the NCRHA yesterday quoted Hamid as saying the cooperation from the various religious institutions and civic groups, have been phenomenal, as the Walk the Talk team were scheduled to serve on a weekly basis since its inception in December 2016.
“Just about 100 institutions inclusive of churches, mosques and mandirs have partnered with the NCRHA over the past two years, giving the authority access to groups that may not normally visit healthcare institutions.
Many patients were found to be unaware of their high-risk status, reinforcing the need for this program as an intervening and strategic approach to health management within our community. Where necessary, these patients have been absorbed into our primary care facilities where they received further treatment to prevent their need for secondary care,” he added.
In support of the project, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the ministry has recognised the need to build awareness of NCDs as many citizens must to change their lifestyle to reduce their risk of developing cancer, diabetes and hypertension.
He said over the years complications due to diabetes has risen in prominence from being the seventh major cause of premature death in T&T to the third cause of premature death.
This jump of four places in the ranking is a reason for concern for the Ministry, especially since many of us can implement some minor life changes that will make a significant difference in their quality of life and reduce their risk of developing diabetes.
He was also concerned about the increase in the rate of obesity in children, the number of children suffering with diabetes as well as the number of pregnant women suffering from gestational diabetes.
He praised the work of the Authority, since the WTT Project provided a platform to more effectively target and screen these high risk groups within our communities.
“The objectives of the Walk the Talk programme are being achieved, as it is now recognised as an effective vehicle that facilitates the flow of resources, information and services to empower our communities to become healthier,” said NCRHA’s Chief Executive Officer Davlin Thomas.
He said the networks and relationships that have been built through the services, have expanded the reach of hospitals into communities to provide solutions, before non-communicable chronic diseases escalate into health problems that will require secondary and tertiary care.