by Brian JM Joseph
Millions of dollars are going to be spent on healthcare with the (NHI) National Health Insurance. How much is going to be spent on education awareness, teaching our people how to eat healthy to live healthy lifestyles that can help alleviate some of the astronomical burdens on the healthcare system? The government needs to start a Healthcare Education Reform programme. Firstly it must begin in the schools with our nation’s children and teachers. In order to reap real benefits, the campaign must be taken to the homes, restaurant owners, cooks, chefs; businesses and all stakeholders need to come onboard.
This might sound laughable but it’s no joking matter. Government is looking to improve healthcare by introducing NHI, but how can you improve the system without proper education awareness? Most of our medical ailments are brought on by our lifestyle because “we are what we consume.”
A lot of the illnesses we suffer from here, are self-inflicted from food, sugars, salts, all the synthetic aspects. They’re self-inflicted through the lifestyle we lead. We believe we have to live for happiness. None of these people have the term “happiness” because they don’t worry about the future, or when they’re going to be happy, they just eat themselves to death.
Physical infrastructures can always be built on, but the health of a nation’s people determines its future and prosperity. We need to encourage our people to buy local and eat local because organic foods save lives. We must be mindful that the health of a nation is the wealth of a nation.
Chronic illnesses such as Diabetes and Hypertension can be avoided if we are willing to change our lifestyle. How many of us are willing to eat healthily? How many of us are willing to give up meats that are poisoned with chemicals and antibiotics? We are consuming so much Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) food that it is slowly destroying our bodies, while our health continues to deteriorate at rapid pace.
We must remember in order to avoid healthcare bills, complications and chronic illnesses; we must be willing to make the necessary changes in our lifestyle habits. I have been reviewing statistics and there is a sudden rise in diabetes here on the island of Grenada.
I would equate that with our diet, especially all the unhealthy processed meat products that we are consuming on a daily basis like fast food, salami, hams, cold cuts and canned foods.
I think some of our medical practitioners have a very important role to play because they were the architects that helped created this ongoing health issue by prescribing diabetic inducing drugs called prednisone, and it was widely prescribed during the outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness know as Chikungunya.
I’m convinced that those doctors never told patients the serious implications and prolonged use of prednisone and what it can do. Our main aim and objective should be all about education awareness helping people to live a good and healthy lifestyle.
Government along with the Ministry of Health, healthcare professionals and providers, should seek to promote a healthy lifestyle, and it must start at the grassroots level. My tagline is as follows: “Let’s start educating before implementing.”
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