rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt
T&T’s culture of “liming” could bode well for the health of citizens, according to the founder of US-based non-profit United Hands Inc, Dr Don Bovell, who said social connection is an often overlooked but crucial part of healthy living.
“This social connectedness is something that is key and I see Trinidad has a lot of that, so we also want to encourage that aspect of health,” he said.
Dr Bovell explained, “There is data, research, that shows that if you have three friends or more, you’re most likely to live longer and live a more fulfilling life that’s absent of depression or anxiety.
“If you have no friends, you have a much larger risk of heart attacks and dying from a heart attack, stroke and dying from a stroke. It is estimated that 25 per cent of Americans have no friends, so this social connectedness is something that is key.”
Dr Bovell is no stranger to T&T as he spent his younger years here and attended the Maracas SDA Primary School. His parents taught at the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) when it was a college.
United Hands Inc is in T&T with 60 of its volunteers to provide free dental, optical and medical services to residents of St Joseph as part of FreeDOM Clinic USA, a collaborative initiative with the USC and the Community Hospital of Seventh-day Adventists. Partners and sponsors of the clinic include the Rotary Club of Port-of-Spain, MP Esmond Forde, Councillor Corey Selvon, the South Caribbean Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Caribbean Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists. The clinic is being held daily at the USC auditorium until tomorrow.
USC president Colwick Wilson said the clinic is aimed at giving back to the community.
“I’ve worked in healthcare as a researcher, not a clinician or a practitioner, and I have always been involved in getting people the care that they need. Of course, we know that access is a challenge and then quality care, once you get access, and so I talked with my colleagues who called me last year and said, ‘Can we do something like this in Trinidad?’ They came last year, we did the scoping of the work and then they’re back here this year to provide the service,” he said.
Patients at the clinic got more than health screenings and advice. Dental procedures, including fillings, extractions and root canals were done right there in the auditorium and some patients were even able to get prescription glasses.
Among those benefiting was 53-year-old Maracas/St Joseph resident, Andy, who accompanied his fiancé.
“I needed glasses since I was in my early 40s and the way how things is with money and whatever when you go to get a prescription for glasses is $2500 and up,” he said.
“I was lucky to get a spot and in six weeks I will have my glasses and I am really thankful.”