Transforming health of the nation

THE EDITOR: Tomorrow we will observe World Health Day. The theme is “Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) says the key to achieving universal health is “ensuring that everyone can obtain the care they need, when they need it, right in the heart of the community. Progress is being made in countries in all regions of the world. But millions of people still have no access at all to healthcare. Millions more are forced to choose between healthcare and other daily expenses such as food, clothing and even a home.”

Pope Francis rightly states, “Health is not a consumer good but a universal right, so access to health services cannot be a privilege...In many parts of the world...basic healthcare is denied to too many people.”

In today’s throwaway culture where the lives of the elderly, the poor, the differently abled, the unborn are often ignored, remember his words: “A healthcare organisation that is efficient and capable of addressing inequalities cannot forget that its raison d’etre is compassion.”

In 1948, WHO defined “health” as follows: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

In June 2011 the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a paper by Machteld Huber and colleagues who propose changing the emphasis of the definition “towards the ability to adapt and self-manage in the face of social, physical, and emotional challenges.”

The BMJ states: “The WHO definition of health as complete wellbeing is no longer fit for purpose given the rise of chronic diseases as populations age and the pattern of illnesses changes the definition may even be counterproductive.”

The internet is replete with advice on how to maintain healthy lifestyles, eg make healthier food choices, get regular exercise, lose weight if you are overweight, protect your skin, limit your intake of alcohol, don’t smoke/use tobacco or take illicit drugs, learn how to manage stress, get a good night’s sleep. Preventive care includes regular check-ups by your doctor, dentist, optometrist etc.

A nutritionist advised me to fill a quarter of my plate with protein, a quarter with carbohydrates and half with vegetables, and/or fruits. These days I am on another diet. Yo-yo diets are not good for our bodies.

In TT the healthcare system is deficient in many ways. One of the aims of the 2019 budget was to promote higher standards of healthcare. Health received the third largest sum in the budget – $5.695 billion.

I note that, inter alia, the Ministry of Health is placing particular emphasis on wellness and health promotion to encourage healthier lifestyles and self-empowerment among citizens; seeking to reduce the prevalence of communicable disease, eg HIV/AIDS; to improve the physical infrastructure of public healthcare facilities; and address chronic diseases, eg heart disease, diabetes, stroke, prostate cancer, violence, breast cancer, hypertension – and mental health. What progress is being made?

We must improve operational efficiency at our medical facilities and delivery of services in the health sector, eg speciality services, lab services and the number of beds to accommodate patients in our public hospitals. There continues to be complaints that: certain CDAP medicines are not available; customer service at some health centres and hospitals could be improved; human resource issues continue to plague the sector.

Some other challenges include: a shortage of specialists and a shortage of nurses. Poor infrastructure often impacts adversely on the health of the nation, eg lack of access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation, and undermines the total quality core value of the Ministry of Health.

Let us promote the dignity of each human being and build the common good by working to ensure universal healthcare for everyone, everywhere. Health is wealth!

LEELA RAMDEEN

chair, CCSJ

director, CREDI