Rotary Club of Dominica in partnership with All Saints University hosts health fair at the Salybia Health Center

The Rotary Club Dominica made a difference in the lives of many people in the Kalinago Territory when they took the initiative to host a health fair in Salybia. Part of the club’s mission statement says, “We have consistently advocated for peace, tackled illiteracy and poverty head-on”.

Tackling poverty was realized through their efforts at this health fair. Mr. Nigel Shillingford, the President of the Club remarked that the reason why the Kalinago Territory was chosen for this activity was simply because there is a great need here and it has to be addressed. He recalls having a similar activity there some time ago and then it hit him in the face instantly that poverty is real and that the level of poverty among the people is alarming. The reason why people tend to neglect giving attention to their health is because of financial constraints.

At the very beginning, the chair of Service, Roslyn Sorhaindo gave a brief overview of the day’s proceedings. First of all, people coming in had to be registered before anything else so that valuable information could be collected about the patient, followed by screening. The screening was assisted by a contingency of All Saints Medical Students. People were given the opportunity to check their blood pressure, blood sugar, and BMI (Body Mass Index). There was also a PowerPoint presentation on Diabetes. The Rotary Club as a meaningful gesture afforded some patients a voucher that can be used to obtain medication at Jolly’s Pharmacy.

To add some excitement, the President of Dominica, Mrs. Sylvanie Burton, and Mr. Burton paid a courtesy visit to the Health Fair. People were elated to meet the president and the organizers saw it as a big boost in promoting the work of the Rotary Club.