One love - Nine Miles residents benefit from health fair

The Bob Marley Foundation recently partnered with Integrated Clinics International (ICI) to host the second biannual health fair in Nine Miles, St Ann.

Residents, including children and adults from the community, benefited from a day of free health service. The fair was held at The Cedella Marley Booker Basic School, named in honour of Bob Marley's mother.

Members of the community accessed the services of a team of at least 23 medical professionals, who offered a variety of health care services. Prescriptions were also filled, free of cost, at the on-site pharmacy, sponsored and managed by ICI personnel. This service was appreciated by the persons attending the clinic.

The doctors noted that the complaints from the patients were mostly related to the common lifestyle diseases - diabetes, hypertension and arthritis - while a majority of the children attending the clinic had cold and flu symptoms.

Doctors from the ICI team also made home visits to elderly or physically incapacitated residents in the community.

For the first time, a team from the Starkey Hearing Foundation participated in the fair, doing hearing tests and educating participants on hearing health care and empowering them to understand and appreciate the gift of hearing.

The Jamaica AIDS Support for Life team conducted free HIV and syphilis tests and educating participants of the importance of safe and healthy sexual practices. The Registrar General's Department offered services such as applying for birth, death and marriage certificates.