The Bachelor in Midwifery Students of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Dominica State College (DSC) hosted a ‘Health Exposition 2017’ that sought to increase public knowledge and awareness of complementary and alternative medicine.
The event was hosted under the theme ‘Holistic Care plus Child Bearing Family Equals a Healthy Society.’
It was held on Thursday May 4, 2017 at the Peebles Park, and it targeted pregnant women, however, the entire family was invited to learn more about complementary alternative medicines such as yoga, acupuncture, herbs, music therapy, and more.
Being a school-based activity and part of the midwifery course, the students had to be judged in different areas based on their booth presentations.
Midwifery student and registered nurse, Ermine Roberts, informed Dominica News Online that the event was to educate people that alternative medicines, such as acupuncture which instills fear in some patients, are actually being painless.
“Persons might fear it thinking ‘well it is painful because it is needles going through you’ but if the person is doing it the right way it should not be painful,” she said.
District and Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) nurses patronized in the event and members of the public were able to take part in raffles and dips for goodies that catered to pregnant mothers and other family members.
Also included in the day of events were free health checks done by a member of the Dominica Red Cross and a live saxophonist in the music therapy booth.
Roberts expressed satisfaction over the results of planning and organizing the event, despite the difficulty of it.
“It was a lot of work, we put a lot of effort into it but we are satisfied with what it has turned out to be, and the support that we have gotten from the public was good. The media on a whole has been very helpful for us in promoting and covering the event,” she remarked.
good work