Lions Health Fair set for Saturday

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Lion Rudy Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair (photo contributed)
Philipsburg– All is set for the St. Maarten Lions Club 9th annual “Lion Rudy Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair 2K17” which is scheduled for this coming Saturday March 25th from 9am to 4pm at the Festival Village.
 
Twenty five (25) stakeholders involved in health care, health care prevention and wellness on the St. Maarten have signed up with the St. Maarten Lions Club to provide the general public with several health tests, examinations, presentations, lectures and general health care and wellness information.
 
Diabetes Foundation has been with the Lions Health and Wellness Fair from the very beginning and will again be carrying out free Blood Pressure, Glucose, Cholesterol tests, and all other test related to diabetes. Once again this year the foundation is flying in the Podiatrist from Curacao who will be carrying out treatment of the diabetic feet. Last year at the fair the Podiatrist treated numerous bad diabetic feet and the foundation is inviting all diabetics to make use of this very important treatment free of charge. The Diabetes Foundation is also urging persons to come early as the Podiatrist will only be present from 9am to 2pm. Persons do not need to fast before their examinations, so they may have their regular breakfast.
 
Aids Foundation is also a major contributor to the fair ever since the beginning and will once again be carrying out the usual HIV/AIDS tests. WIEMS which stands for Windward Island Emergency Services will give information on their courses such as “Introduction of CPR”, “Demonstration on the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)” and they will also display of their teaching equipment.
 
Positive Foundation has information for the general public on Breast Cancer Prevention.
Alpha Health Care has been with the Lions Health Fair for many years and once again they will be displaying many items such as diabetic shoes, compression stockings, mobility items, walkers, relaters, scooters, bathroom needs, blood pressure machines, diabetic meters and much more. Explanations will also be given on the many items which are covered by SZV and other private insurance companies.

Sickle Cell Foundation will be promoting awareness about Sickle Cell disease and encouraging the public to know their status. Brochures will be shared, advice will be given, and the SLS Lab will be conducting screening for those persons who are interested in the particular disease. The foundation will also be accepting membership applications on that day. Kidney Foundation is having a certified dialysis nurse who will be present to share information about dialysis, kidney failure, chronic kidney diseases and prevention. Important information will be distributed in the form flyers.
 
St. Maarten Alzheimer Foundation will be providing information on Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia as well as information to maintain a healthy brain. The public will have the opportunity to talk to an experienced professional nurse present at the fair as well as about “How to care for persons with Dementia”. The public will also have the opportunity to talk to family caregivers with experience. There will also be free memory testing which only takes 5 minutes.   
 
A newcomer to the Health & Wellness Fair is the St. Maarten Consumers Coalition which will provide information about their services, about the rights of the consumers to promote their health and well-being. They will also give information on the quality of the products, services and prices. Bio Magnetism is another new addition to the fair and anyone with a health issue will get the opportunity to scan one (1) tissue for 10 minutes. Demonstrations will also be given to test to see if a product is good or not for the person.
 
Enable Holistic Occupational Therapy has also been a long serving contributor to the Health Fair for many years. Holistic Occupational Therapist Mrs. D’Antoinette Roger-Sorton will be providing information on occupational therapy and providing experiences on what it’s like to live with different disabilities. She will and also be providing a look at specialty equipment.
 
There will also be three presentations which the general public should not miss.
Cardiologist Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake will speak at 10am on “High Blood Pressure and Stroke”. This is a very important presentation especially for persons suffering with high blood pressure. High blood pressure resulting in strokes is very prevalent on St. Maarten lately and those persons wanting to hear this presentation are requested to be at the Festival Village before 10amSZV will be making two presentations starting at 12pm through to 3pm. Their first presentation will deal with ”Rights & Obligations of ZV insured (with a highlight on the Medical Coverage)”
The second presentation will deal with “Requirements & Procedure: Medical Reimbursement Claims”.
 
Vital Health Clinic’s Dietitian Ms. Jeshneila Carti will be giving valuable information on dieting.
St. Maarten Foundation for Psychologists and Orthopedagogen will offer parent’s trainings to help restore parental authority. They look forward to hearing from the community at the fair and share information with them as well. Nature’s Discount will bring to the public general information on men, women and children’s health. The public will also be able to taste items from their organic juicing and health conscious kitchen, and they will have items to give away.
 
Physiotherapist Angeli Balani will be sharing information on physical therapy for all sorts of illnesses. Henderson Insurances will again be part of the fair this year and they will be explaining to the public about preparing for retirement and choosing a good pension plan while Martijn Trading will be displaying various health care products. I & I Fitness Gym will have their clients, young and old (especially the Senior Citizens) demonstrate their ability with various exercises. Mrs. Sarah Wescot-Williams will also be present with her Zumba Group giving performances and inviting all Zumba dancers to join her at 10am to be part of the demonstrations that the group will be giving while some additional potential stake holders are busy finalizing their participation at the Lion Rudy Hoeve Health & Wellness Fair in the coming days.
 
This year the St. Maarten Lions Club will be keeping a count of the number of persons attending the fair and upon entering the Village everyone will receive a floor plan with information on where each stakeholder is located and which booth number.
 
All stakeholders have been asked to compile a report of the day’s proceedings where it pertains to the number of persons who visited their booth and they will also report extraordinary alarming health situations mentioning only numbers and no details on individuals. The St. Maarten Lions Club will then send a general report of the entire Health & Wellness Fair to the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor for its review.
 
The St. Maarten Lions Club are extremely happy to once more offer this very valuable Health & Wellness Fair to the general public of St. Maarten whereby all tests, examinations, presentations will be free of charge.
 
For additional information about the St. Maarten Lions Club about their fundraising and community projects, you can email dailyboard@sxmlions.org or visit their Facebook page.