The University of the West Indies Open Campus Dominica, in collaboration with Optical Services Limited and the Dominica Medical Association will continue the rich tradition of the public lecture series in memory of one of Dominica’s most celebrated medical doctors and the first Dominican to graduate from the University of the West Indies, Dr. Bernard A. Sorhaindo.
This year’s public lecture will be the Fourth Annual Dr. Bernard A. Sorhaindo Memorial Lecture and will take place on Thursday, September 29, 2011 at the Fort Young Hotel, Conference Room, commencing at 7:30 pm.
This year the guest presenter is Professor Emeritus Henry Fraser who will address the subject “The health of the Nation is the wealth of the Nation. But what is health and how do we achieve it?” The matter of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and other health related problems are in fact very important in present-day Dominica.
This topic will address what Professor Fraser views as the link between the health of the people and its impact on the wealth of the nation. It is a fitting topic and underscores the thrust of the UWI and its collaborators of educating the public of Dominica on issues that are fundamental to the nation’s development.
The topics of the previous two memorial lectures emphasize the University’s attention to critical national health issues, vis: “The Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Epidemic: A Possible Solution for Dominica” and “Conquering Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Children: Antigua’s Battle” delivered by Dr. Paul Ricketts and Dr. Leslie Walwyn respectively in 2010 and “Wisdom, Wellness and Wealth” delivered by Chancellor of the University of the West Indies Sir George A. O. Alleyne in 2009.
Professor Fraser is Barbadian and is Professor of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology, and recently retired as Dean of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill. He is founding Director of the Chronic Disease Research Centre, author and co-author of more than 100 peer reviewed publications on Medical Education, Drugs, Epilepsy, Hypertension, Obesity, Stroke and many other papers.
He was a weekly Sunday Sun columnist for five years on “Health and the Environment”. Professor Fraser also has a current Sunday Advocate Column entitled, “Things that matter.” He was Public Orator at the Cave Hill Campus (1992 – 2010) and has been National Public Orator since 1998. He was Vice Chairman of the National Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Commission (NCN-CDC) in Barbados until last year. It is clear that he is eminently qualified to do justice to this year’s topic.
His Excellency the President, Dr. Nicholas J. O. Liverpool and Mrs. Liverpool will attend the lecture and welcome remarks will be delivered by Head of the UWI Open Campus Dominica, Dr. Francis O. Severin. There will also be brief remarks from Dr. Ruby Blanc Hunter, Dominica Medical Association, while Dr. Hazel Shillingford-Ricketts, Managing Director, Optical Services Limited will deliver the vote of thanks.
This lecture is public and an open invitation is extended to all Dominicans.
Dr. Fraser is a very good speaker and very knowledgable about medicine and matters of public health.He lectured many students at UWI over the years. I really recommend this event to anyone interested in the health of the people of this nation.