– Health MinisterAs the Caribbean celebrated Caribbean Wellness Day on Saturday, a number of activities were held in Guyana in observance of the event, including a fitness walk which commenced at 06:00hrs at the Umana Yana and ended at the National Park.Participating in the walk was Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Pan American Health Organization Country Representative Dr. Kathleen Israel, and Assistant Secretary General of CARICOM, Dr. Edward Greene, among others.Dr. Leslie RamsammyThe event was observed under the theme, “Love That Body, Yours and Mine.”Guyanese are being urged to live a healthy lifestyle.As such, Minister Ramsammy once again issued a call for persons to stop smoking, which according to him is something that not only endangers the life of the smoker, but the people around.He noted that smoke-free policies must be pursued seriously in order to keep the environment healthy.“People are affected even if they don’t smoke…so we need national policies that will empower us to take control of people’s health,” Minister Ramsammy said.In this regard, the Ministry of Education had established all schools across the country as smoke-free zones.Ramsammy said that those teachers who still smoke in the presence of their students should be ashamed.“Shame on all those teachers who still smoke in front of their students! There can be no excuse,China Jerseys, and I am not apologetic in saying shame! Shame on you for still smoking in front of the children that you are trying to teach to be different,” Ramsammy said.Meanwhile, the minister also noted that the responsibility lies with each individual, as each individual has the power to take control of his/her life and health.‘There are too many of us who have the opportunity to lead by example and we don’t… we tell people what to do but we also expect them not to do what we do, and so we must be more active,” Ramsammy noted.PAHO Country Representative Dr. Kathleen Israel urged persons to pause and reflect on the group of things that cause chronic non-communicable diseases.She said it is a group of diseases that has taken a toll on the Caribbean region and, as such, it needs to be controlled.As part of healthy eating, Dr. Israel told persons to reduce the amounts of salt and fat in their diets and to exercise for 30 minutes every day and at the same time. They must increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables that they have in their diets.“The more colourful your plate, the prettier your plate, the more yellows and reds and greens you see on your plate, the healthier your meal,” Dr. Israel said.
