World Family Doctor Day activities set for May
WORLD Family Doctor Day, (wfdd) May 19, was first declared by the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) in 2010, and has become a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors in health care systems around the world.
“Family doctors are central to the provision of primary health care in Jamaica,” said Dr Arna J Brown-Morgan, family physician and chair WFDD 2016 Committee. “The first stop before seeing a specialist or heading to the hospital is usually the family doctor who plays a critical role in diagnosing illnesses, treating patients and being their guide through the health care system.”
In 2016, five events are scheduled under the auspices of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians, the Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica, and the Family Medicine Postgraduate Programme of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. These are:
• A celebratory banquet at the Terra Nova Hotel on Friday, May 13;
• A church service of thanksgiving on May 14;
• An inaugural WFDD CME Conference at the Terra Nova Hotel, under the theme ‘Family doctors: The change agents in the non-communicable disease epidemic’ on May 15 from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm;
• Launch of ‘Adopt a health centre’ projects islandwide on May 19. This is a programme that will see family doctor groups across the island partnering with community and corporate sponsors to contribute to the improvement of community health centres.
• A walkathon to raise money towards the ‘Adopt a health centre’ initiative is planned for later this year.
These events follow the success of last year’s WFDD, during which the public benefited from the provision of free blood pressure and blood sugar tests by the Nurses Association of Jamaica, the Diabetic Association of Jamaica and the Red Cross; HIV screening by the National Family Planning Board; ECGs by the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and mammograms by the Jamaica Cancer Society, both sponsored by the National Health Fund. The venue was a fair at Mandela Park, sponsored by Mayor Dr Angella Brown Burke and the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation.
Last year’s edition of WFDD recognised several family physicians, including Dr Winsome Segree, founder of Association of General Practitioners, The Caribbean College of Family Physicians, and the Family Medicine Postgraduate Programme in Jamaica.
As part of the global celebration, the WFDD Committee will be rolling out the welcome carpet to family doctors in Jamaica, across the Caribbean and the world, with opportunities to be involved in the 2016 activities to mark the day.
