THERE’S lots to love about the holiday season.

Prepping — and eating — large, elaborate meals and desserts, mingling with holiday crowds, spending time with friends and family, gift giving — the works. However, all these things that make the holidays so enjoyable are also what make the holidays one of the busiest times of year. And further, that same set of things can make the holiday season not only a vacation from work, but a vacation from our day-to-day healthy routines.

The reality is that when the holiday season rolls around, it’s easy to get a little lax on the healthy eating and exercise that we typically maintain. All the up and down and the stress that the holidays can inevitably bring can mean a hit to our overall well-being from November straight through to the new year.

But, it doesn’t have to be this way. With a few tips and tricks from Dr Lauren Collins from Oneness Quick Clinic, it’s possible to maintain a healthy lifestyle all year round, for you and your family.

In remaining healthy during the holiday season, it is also important to know which medical facility you can access in the event of an emergency.

At Oneness Quick Clinic, Dr Collins says “convenience is king”.

“Naturally, as we prepare for and enjoy the festivities of the holiday season, we tend to look for the quickest and most convenient solutions — a ready-made ham, pre-wrapped gift boxes, delivery services, digital payment solutions like Lynk, you name it. The search for convenience definitely shouldn’t stop when it comes to maintaining our overall health and wellness during the holiday season. Putting off regular check-ups or sweeping persistent ailments under the rug ‘for the sake of the holidays’ will only end up doing more harm than good,” she pointed out.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic in which we were thrust into a new and unfamiliar way of living and doing business, Dr Collins said the Oneness Quick Clinic team saw the need within the country for convenient medical services beyond just COVID tests, and in May of 2022, introduced the island’s first drive thru medical facility with a full team of doctors, nurses and a lab all available right there on site.

“Convenience is embedded in the very DNA of our business. The convenience of our service is paramount to our identity, because we want Jamaicans to have access to healthcare without interrupting their daily schedules — and without having to pay a premium,” Dr Collins said.

Further, in Jamaica, the culture surrounding health care is one of reactivity and far too often medical professionals are attending to life-threatening health concerns because patients waited until the illnesses escalated before seeking medical care. A contributing factor to this procrastination is the infamous barriers of medical care — lengthy wait times, uncomfortable or non-existent waiting rooms and lack of accessibility to the limited traditional doctors offices and clinics across the island.

According to Dr Collins, The Quick Clinic has removed these barriers by having a quick throughput time; digital processes and solutions; live and up-to-date wait time tracker; no appointments required; and you get to wait in the comfort and privacy of your car. The service is 100 per cent cashless to protect both patients and on-site staff, and they’ve further expanded their digital scope by partnering with Lynk to accommodate digital payments and cater to all Jamaicans, including the unbanked.

“Since onboarding with Lynk we have had more than a handful of patients completing their transactions using the digital wallet. I have found it to be safe, secure and very convenient. One thing with conducting a cashless transaction is that it eliminates the spreading of germs through money that is often considered ‘dirty’ and that is especially ideal in a space such as this where health is paramount,” Dr Collins shared.

“We also have recently become the first drive thru clinic on the island to accept all major health cards. Ultimately, our goal is to open more Quick Clinic locations across the island to increase the accessibility of convenient and responsive health care to our Jamaican people,” Dr Collins stated proudly.

Moreover, Dr Collins wants Jamaicans to brighten the holidays by making the health and safety of themselves and loved ones a priority.

Below Dr Collins shares some common health concerns that can arise during the busy holiday season, and some tips for how to combat them and set yourself and your family up for a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

Holiday health tips and tricks

Typical health concerns that can come up during the holiday season include:

1) Uncontrolled chronic illnesses due to increase in holiday food intake and lack of compliance with regular medicine routines

2) Spread of communicable diseases, for example, respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses, due to an increase in social gatherings

3) Increase in trauma, for example, car crashes or broken bones, due to an increase in traffic on roadways and increase in social gatherings

4) As the air becomes cooler (with the fall in temperatures) our respiratory tract also becomes colder and dryer and thus more susceptible to viruses which may cause the common cold, the flu or flu-like illnesses

In addition, here are five tips for a safe and healthy holiday season for the whole family:

1) Get your flu shot

The holiday season overlaps with the flu season. People typically travel more, and spend more time around others during this time of year. Flu vaccination is the most effective way to prevent flu outbreaks.

2) Regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds

Prevent the spread of germs by washing hands regularly, and don’t forget to also wash wrists, lower arms and in between those fingers.

3) Continue your regular routines

Your regular medicine routine — especially if you have chronic diseases — and your regular exercise regime, even if it’s just to take a walk after your meals, go for a light jog or play a friendly game of football.

4) Absolutely no driving under the influence of alcohol and always avoid speeding

Be sure to adhere to regular driving precautions like wearing seatbelts and not overloading vehicles.

5) Don’t ignore urgent health concerns until after the holiday

Doing this only makes the problem worse, especially when hospitals and some private medical offices are still open. Visit us at the Quick Clinic Drive Thru if anything is feeling off for you or your loved ones.