Nurse Practitioners, SRHA, Stage Men’s Health Fair

The Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA) Nurse Practitioners gathered for the Seventh staging of their Men’s Day on November 23, at the community square in Siloah, St. Elizabeth.

This health fair, exclusively tailored for men, sought to bridge the gap in men’s healthcare, addressing the common perception that men tend to shy away from seeking medical attention.

Supervisory Nurse Practitioner, SRHA, Andrienne Sylvester, told JIS News that the motivation behind this annual initiative is that there is a perception that men are reluctant to visit the doctor and neglect their health due to various reasons.

However, Ms. Sylvester said that the nurse practitioners of the SRHA believe that it is not unwillingness, but the sheer lack of time that prevents men from seeking medical care.

“We believe that men will be willing to seek healthcare, but it is just that they are so busy, while it is easier for a woman to take time out to go and seek medical care. Men don’t have that time or luxury,” she argued.

Men of all ages came to the health fair, even after working night shifts, to check on their health. They included taxi operators, men working or visiting the police station, hardware store, bars and other establishments.

The health fair offered a range of services, including blood pressure check, blood sugar test, cholesterol test, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, prostate examination, body mass index (BMI) assessment, dental examination, HIV test, foot care examination and immediate referrals for any identified health concerns.

“The nurse practitioners are from Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elziabeth. We are 18 in total – family nurse practitioners and mental health nurse practitioners. We come together in one of these parishes on the fourth Thursday in November every year to give the care that we are giving today,” Ms. Sylvester told JIS News.

Additionally, she highlighted the extensive outreach efforts undertaken by the nurse practitioners.

“We have walked the community, sent out the information via [social media], and we have also done so using a town crier to get the word out,” Ms. Sylvester noted.

Next year, the initiative will move to Clarendon.

Last year, the team of healthcare professionals was out in Alligator Pond, Manchester, in a similar collaborative effort to provide comprehensive care.

By putting healthcare directly into the hands of men, the event sought to encourage a culture of self-care and awareness, ultimately contributing to healthier communities.

“So, this is what we have been doing all along. We put our efforts together and then move around from parish to parish each year,” Ms. Sylvester said.

The day’s collaboration involved not just nurse practitioners but also a non-communicable disease (NCD) coordinator, a dental team, community health aides, medical technologists and resource mobilisation officers, who had a variety of gifts for the men.

Resident of Siloah, Kenneth Smith, emphasised the importance of regular health check-ups for men, especially prostate and blood pressure checks.

“About seven years now I have been doing the prostate test and cholesterol and so forth. Today, I did that alongside my blood pressure, height and weight, and cholesterol. I extracted a tooth also,” Mr. Smith noted.

“As men, we have to find time. Find time for yourself and love yourself. Health comes first and then wealth,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gregory Farquharson said men must find time to check on their health, as staying away can lead to sudden death from stroke and heart attack.

Mr. Farquharson said he has never heard of a health fair exclusively for men, so he wanted to find out more about the event and his health.

“I have done the cholesterol check, blood sugar check, blood pressure check, and I am awaiting the results for the HIV and Syphilis checks. I intend to do the mental health check also. I’m waiting for the prostate and dental checks,” he said.

The Men’s Day event is a symbol of proactive healthcare as the nurses extend their annual outreach to Jamaican men far and wide.