RIYADH, 3 June — In keeping with the maxim “health is wealth,” a professional group of Filipino nurses in the Kingdom is organizing a medical and dental mission to be held on June 12.
The activity is in line with the Philippine Independence Day celebration, NaRS said in a press statement.
As in the past, the activity will be two-fold. In addition to first-aid/emergency care which will be provided as necessary, there will be health screening services like blood pressure checking, blood sugar test and evaluation of height and weight versus the ideal body weight, all free of charge.
“From the documentation of last year’s medical mission, which serviced over 1300 clients, a large number was identified to be at high risk for heart disease and diabetes,” said the statement released by NaRS official Ameurfina Silo.
“Leading a different lifestyle in Saudi Arabia is being inferred to as a predisposing factor,” the statement added.
Health specialists and sociologists consulted by Arab News in the past have said the rising incidence of cardiac cases among Filipinos in the Kingdom is due to an improvement in lifestyle.
Ambassador Rafael E. Seguis actually raised the same concern three years ago during a speech before members of the sports organization Afscomm in Alkhobar three years ago.
Citing the embassy’s records, Seguis said it was clear that heart ailment was the no. 1 killer of Filipinos in the Kingdom and that preventive measures were needed to arrest it. The NaRS medical mission also hopes to address this problem by distributing health education materials emphasizing on proper nutrition and exercise.
If there will be time and space, said the group, there will also be a lecture cum demonstration on acupressure as a treatment modality for common ailments.
Conducting the demonstration will be J. Alvarado, a clinical instructor at the Riyadh Health College and NaRS secretary and spokesman for this event.
For more information about, or if interested to participate in the Health Day as a team or as volunteers, J. Alvarado can be contacted at 053-41-318/447-1900 ext. 1092. The other contact persons are: Don Martin at 053-143-904 or Lo Castro at 053-157-418.
For other upcoming NaRS events, contact Amie Silo at 482-3130 or Noel Santos at 053-192-265 or email [email protected] or [email protected]
Coordinator for this year’s Independence Day event is Francis Maca, a very well-known community leader.
