NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 1
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 3 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES (NCDs) are the leading causes of premature death and disability in Jamaica and accounted for the top10causesof death. People are dying in the prime of their lives anda30-year-old individual living in Jamaicahas a21per cent chanceof dying fromthe fourmajorNCDsbefore age 70 years. Additionally, according to the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey III 2017, the prevalence of NCDs in Jamaicans 15 years old was 11.4 per cent diabetes, 33.8 per cent hypertension, 28.6 per cent obesity, 10.4 per cent asthma (self-reported), and11.4per cent depression. (VITALS, NCD Edition, Ministry of Health and Wellness, April 2023) A resilient and robust primary healthcare system, taking a lifecourse approach, is essential to responding to the epidemic of NCDs and mental health and achieving universal health coverage. The family doctor and primary care team are at the heart of this response through their leadership in NCD primary prevention, early detection, treatment, care coordination, advocacy, and public education. They are often the first point of contact, where they see patients through all stages of their lives from“womb to the tomb”. Today’s health problems require the family doctor to be prepared, proactive, people centred, and delivering patient-centred and integrated care, using technology and data to support decision making and delivery of care. The family doctor is equivalent to the conductor of an orchestra with respect the delivery of holistic healthcare. Continue to strive for excellence, and let us to work together towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and improving the lives of every Jamaican. Happy World Family Doctor Day to all the family doctors, general practitioners, and primary care teams in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the world. DR TAMU DAVIDSON Director Non-communicable Diseases and Injuries Prevention Happy World Family Doctor Day to all THE FAMILY Medicine Postgraduate Programme of The University of the West Indies, Mona campus, the Caribbean College of Family Physicians Jamaica Chapter andtheAssociationofGeneral Practitioners of Jamaica join in celebratingWord Family Doctor Day. This day, celebrated on May 19 annually, is a day to recognise the contribution of familydoctors to thehealth system globally. In Jamaica, we recognise the invaluable role played by family doctors over themany decades. TheWorld Organization of Family Wishing you continued success as we serve this country PLEASE SEE SERVE, 4
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 5 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 WHAT ETHICAL standards should patients expect from a visit to their family physician? At a minimum, patients are expected to be treated with respect, honesty, fairness, equity, and dignity and should have the utmost confidence in their interactions with their family physicians. These ethical considerations should be extended to all patients regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, social standing, or sexual orientation. When a patient is treated with respect, it will form the basis for a trusting, and lasting relationship, which will be to the benefit of both physician and patient. To effect an honest relationship between doctor and patient. There should be clear, precise, and effective communication. Communication between doctors and patients should be in a language and style that is easily understood by the patient andwithout condescension on the part of the doctor. Doctors should avoid unnecessary interruptions while communicating with their patients. Clear communication will avoid confusion and unmet expectations. Whatever the treatment goals and procedures to be undertaken by the doctor, the expected outcomes should be discussed fully with the patient before being undertaken. Equally important before any treatment or procedure is undertaken , a patient informed consent should be obtained. Fairness and honesty are common expectations that should define the relationship between patients and doctors. Patients expect that the services that have been agreed upon should be the ones delivered. Services should be provided promptly without wasting the patient’s time by having the patient make repeated visits or experience unnecessary delays due to the tardiness of the doctor in attending to the patient’s needs. Confidentiality between doctor and patient is a cornerstone of all doctor-patient relationships. Patient information should only be divulged upon the request of the courts or dictated by public-health requirements. Securing and preserving the patient’s health information is a very important obligation, which the doctor has to fulfil at all costs. Lossof thepatient’s informationwill lead to thepatient believing that their carewill becompromisedby theunavailabilityof theirmedical information. The loss of patient information can lead to data breaches, which may have significant legal implications for the offending physician. Gaining the patient’s confidence and maintaining it is a cardinal ethical standard that has to be preserved and guarded jealously. The patient should have the utmost confidence in whatever decision the doctor makes, whether it is a treatment decision or a decision to refer to another colleague for follow-up or advanced treatment. Referral to a colleague should be prompt and not delayed by indecision, inadequate knowledge on the part of the referring physician, or a desire to hold on to the patient for pecuniary benefits. When a patient is referred, a colleague shouldbe chosen that will ensure thebest outcome for thepatient. Adherence to the aboveminimum ethical standards by the attending physician should form the basis of each doctor-patient interaction. This will lead to a most desirable outcome and a truly beneficial and lasting relationship for both doctor and patient. DR DONALD GORDON President Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica Ethics in family practice
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 6 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 I ALWAYS felt the desire to help others, and so the act of giving service was an integral part of my early upbringing. At Excelsior High, I participated in Girl Guides, taught mathematics to JAMAL students, and was a member of the Cookery Club. At the UWI, in the natural sciences programme, my yearning to give service pushed me to apply to the Faculty of Medicine to become a medical doctor. I later entered the anaesthetic programme. On completing part one of the programme, I had started my family and chose not to leave my husband, Patrick, and sons Andrew and Nicholas to complete part two in England. Family wins every time! I had to think about my next step professionally and what aspect of medicine I wanted to pursue. Family medicine came immediately to mind, with the opportunity it would afford me to serve my community. I worked with the government service for a short period. During this time I developed an appreciation for the need to provide continuous and comprehensive primary healthcare for family members across all ages. I saw patients with different complaints, and so my knowledge, skills and ability grew as I learnt to see each one as an individual. I also learnt not to be judgemental, and developed empathy for each patient, as well as their family members. Then I began private practice. There, I grew to understand how each patient brings a unique and exciting opportunity to learn and grow as a professional. This enhanced the management and care of my patients. I receive fulfilment by caring for my patients in the diverse context of their lives, their families, and their communities. Often, by helping resolve medical issues, other wider emotional and social issues are addressed in my office. I always take a comprehensive medical history, do a proper physical examination of the patient, and take time to explain my diagnosis and how we will together manage the medical problem. I make time to listen and communicate clearly with each patient and their family. I instil in my staff the importance of being courteous and professional to all patients. I frequently attend medical conferences to keep abreast of the latest management strategies for various diseases and chronic illnesses. If the need arises, I collaborate with fellow physicians to ensure that I deliver the best quality care I can. I also try to give service in my community. During the COVID period, I kept my practice open to facilitate patient care and was able to treat COVID-positive patients to full recovery. I vividly recall an emergency I was faced with one morning with a pregnant lady in labour. On examination the head of the baby was visible; I had no choice but to care for the mother and child. The baby was delivered in my office, mother and child were stabilised, and arrangements made for them to go to hospital for proper birth registration. A patient of mine refers to me as ”caring, compassionate and trustworthy”. She says,“We couldn’t have chosen a better doctor.We trust her. Over the years she has taken us through various health challenges to good health. We feel safe in her hands.” Each day I ask God to guide me and use me as his instrument in the giving of quality, personalised care to every patient I see. DR EILEEN LOPEZ GORDON Family Doctor Providing quality personalised care to every patient
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 7 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 DR SENI Ononuju was born in the village of Eware and raised in the town of Auchi in Africa. She was introduced to family medicine very early, as her father was a general practitioner; her mother was a housewife. She was the youngest of three siblings. Raised as a Muslim prior to attending a Roman Catholic boarding school at age eight, she converted to the Catholic faith and remains a faithful Roman Catholic to this day. After completing high school, she wanted to pursue medicine but was advised against this career path because of the duration and rigorous nature of the programme. Instead, she enrolled in Federal School of Science. Pursuing scientific subjects, she was awarded a scholarship to study in either My journey to family physician PLEASE SEE JOURNEY, 10
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 8 TheWorld Organisation of Family Doctors was established in 1972, Its goal is to elevate family physicians to be better at what they do. World Family Doctors Day is observed on May 19 each year, Jamaica’s theme is very apt. It is ‘Ethical Issues in Family Care’. For inspiration and direction, too, we need not look far and wide. The father of medicine, Hippocrates, will forever remain our guide. Born in 460 BC, this Greek physician lived to be 90 years old, Extollingthepreceptsandprinciples of goodmedicine, hewas very bold. Although translated from an ancient language andmodernised a bit, The Hippocratic Oath remains the gold standard, its pearls today still fit. Engrained within its many gems, it states doctors are to do no harm, Whether with words, pills, liquids, injections, and, perhaps, even a balm. Respecting the privacy of our patients must always be dear to our heart, Guarding that knowledge jealously, onlywith permission to impart. Remembering always that within our hands, life and death both rest, We do everything to keep that in mind by always being at our best. Medicine is a science, but it’s also an art, and that’s very true, Without warmth, sympathy, and understanding, doctors won’t have a clue. We don’t treat illnesses that afflict human beings, it sounds strange to say, We treat humanbeings afflictedby illnesses because that is the rightway. The things of which we are ignorant, we must not be ashamed to admit, We will call on the skills of our colleagues and ask them to do their bit. Humble awareness of our human frailties, with pride we must not be shod, Remaining reverent in administering toothers, wemust never playGod. What we do can affect patients and perhaps their families even more, Always reduce risks because prevention is always better than cure. Respecting ourselves and everyone else we must always guarantee, Ethically, the least that we can do is our very best for everybody. GARTH A. RATTRAY Family Doctor WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 The Ethical Family Doctor WORLD FAMILY Doctor Day (WFDD) is an annual event that was founded by ONCA in2010.Oneof themaingoals is to emphasise the critical role and contributionsof familydoctors inprovidingexcellent continuinghealthcare to people and their communities. It also aims to promote and encourage continuedacademicpursuits andnetworking. In 2015, WFDD was first actively celebrated in Jamaicaas a result of collaborative efforts of physicians fromthe CaribbeanCollege of Family Physicians (CCFP), the Association of General Practitioners, Jamaica, andthe postgraduate programme of family medicineatTheUniversityof theWest Indies, Mona. This year’s theme is ‘Ethical Issues in Primary Care’. The main elements of the celebration are enhancing public awareness by sharing information in the media; an academic conference, which will be held virtually; and giving back to the community by making donations to worthy causes. We invite you to join us in this charitable venture, our ‘Family Doctor: the heart of healthcare’ project. You may contact the CCFP office at 876-946-0954 or 876-5176636 to plan for your contributions. Family doctors are thebackbone of any effective healthcare system; they are theheart of healthcare. The family doctor provides holistic, comprehensive healthcare on the backgroundof deep, long-term relationships with patients, their families and community. In collaboration with a variety of other specialties, the family doctor works to ensure that patients receive the best possible care globally. Family doctors are advocates for their patients, and also educate patients about their health, including how to manage chronic conditions, make healthy lifestyle choices, and the prevention of disease. Let us continue to work together to strengthen the system, empower our patients, and reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express appreciation to all family doctors, and indeed, all healthcare workers on this occasion of World Family Doctor Day. Thank you for themagnificent work you do every day, despite enormously challenging circumstances, in supporting the health andwell-beingof your patients, your community, your nation, and the world during COVID-19 and beyond! DR ANDREA PURAI World Family Doctor Day
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 9 WONCA CALLED World Family Doctor Day (WFDD) “an excellent opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate … the exceptional contributions of primary care teams globally. …On 19 May, let’s honour and appreciate the tireless efforts of family doctors and provide recognition to family doctors, hopefully leading to increased morale”. The Caribbean College of Family Physicians – Jamaica, the Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica (AGPJ), and the Family Medicine unit – Department of Community Health and Psychiatry unite for WFDD to thank our dedicated family doctors who serve with excellence despite the ever-present challenges. Here, we chronicle some of those moments, past and present. In 2015 at our Mandela Park fair, the doctors recited the Hippocratic Oath and renewed their vows and ethical commitments to the practice of medicine. Medical stalwarts were also honoured, including: • The then head of the Nursing Association of Jamaica, Sister Janet Farr. • Dr Winsome Segree, the inceptor of the family medicine teaching programme in Jamaica, founder of the General Practitioners Association of Jamaica, and founder of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians. There’s no measure for her gift to the family doctors and people of Jamaica. • Drs Owen James and Carmen BowenWright, hard-working retired past presidents of our family doctors’ associations, andDr Donald Gordon, current president of the AGPJ, were also on hand for us to say‘thank you’, as were several other distinguished family and primary care physicians: Prof Brendan Bain, Dr Blossom Anglin-Brown, Prof Horace Fletcher, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse, Dr Seni Ononuju, Dr Alva Redwood-Kiddoe and Dr Ouida Golding Beecher. They are family doctor heroes. In 2016, several events were held to honour Family Doctors of Excellence: • Retirees banquet at the Terra Nova Hotel. • Walkathon honouring Family Doctors at Emancipation Park. • Church service of thanksgiving at the St Andrew Parish Church. • Gleaner supplement. Legendary family doctors were fêted at the inaugural WFDD Celebratory Banquet held in Jamaica! Quote: “Not everyone can be honoured here tonight, not everyone will hear their name called tonight, but all you who go by the name ‘family doctor’ are thanked for your services!” Citations of Excellence were presented to Ambassador Matthew Beaubrun, Prof Sir Kenneth Livingston Standard, Dr Mary Sloper, Prof Winston George Mendez Davidson, Dr Winsome Segree, Dr Carmen Bowen-Wright, Dr Owen Desmond Oliver Minott, founding members of the family doctors’ associations in Jamaica and outstanding physicians in their own right. Gifts of appreciation were handed out to: Dr Joan Clarke, Dr Sonia Davidson, Dr Horatio Dunn, Dr Jan Glean, Dr Ouida Golding-Beecher, Dr Hugh Mairs-Ingram, Dr Marjorie Kerr, Dr Owen James, Dr Winsome Miller-Rowe, Dr Phillip Nash, Dr Seni Ononuju, Dr Robert Parchment, Dr James Peart, Dr Lloyd Quarrie, Dr Garth Rattray, Dr Patrick Robinson, Dr Fay Whitbourne. Subsequently, theWFDD celebrations would feature in our WFDD Gleaner Supplement, family doctors who by their daily dedication and commitment to excellence at work and within their communities, embody those qualities which seem most important to function well as family doctors. Family Doctors of Excellence include: Year 2021: Dr Peter Swaby Year 2022: Dr Patrick Robinson Year 2023: Dr Seni Ononuju and Dr Eileen Lopez Gordon We will never be able to adequately thank our family doctors who daily exert themselves to the fullest, often above the call of duty, in their service of that group of people they call ‘patients’! DR ARNA J. BROWN MORGAN Family Physician WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 FAMILY DOCTORS OF EXCELLENCE WFDD Doctors of Excellence 2023 – Drs Eileen Lopez -Gordon and Seni Ononuju
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 10 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 THEN & NOW: OVER THE past 50 years, doctors have benefited from technology, but basic knowledge and clinical experience still stand strong. There is no doubt that FAMILY DOCTORS ARE THE HEART OF HEALTHCARE! Using the experience of our teachers, colleagues, and our clinical acumen, we play a leading role in healthcare. I refer to our classmates, supervisors – consultants, lecturers when I say colleagues. Since graduating in 1968, over 54 years ago, I have learnt a lot! I gained a lot of experience between 1968 and 1993 at public hospitals such as Georgetown, Guyana; Lucea Hospital, Hanover; Mandeville Public Hospital, & Hargreaves Memorial Hospital, Jamaica. I left Mandeville in 1990 and have maintained a general practice ever since. Duringmy internship - 1969-1970 (Then) - I saw a patient who was approximately 35 years old, having had her last child a year before. She started wheezing and sneezing. She had tried multiple antihistamines, bronchodilators, and antibiotics without any success. She was in STATUS ASTHMATICUS! We decided to admit her to the Mandeville Hospital to investigate her further. All tests were normal except her Eosinophil count, which was above 10 per cent. This meant that she had an allergy, tropical eosinophilia, , or worms. Since she had already been on a bronchodilator and antihistamine treatment and had negative stool tests for ova and parasites, experience suggested we proceed with a deworming. The morning after a dewormer was given, the patient passed out nearly 1,000 worms! The wheezing stopped. She truly appreciated the relief! During her pregnancy, she had followed friends by eating red dirt to increase her iron levels. Three types of worms are transmitted by the red dirt: intestinal roundworms, trichuris trichura and hookworm. Patients can develop anaemia, heart failure, and chronic bronchitis from worms! An interesting patient I have seen in recent times – since 1994 – (Now) was 56-year-old Lady Vannie. She had a bad fall in 1982 that affected her back, hips, knees, and ankles. She suffered with weakness, pains, stiffness, and depression, which kept her either bedridden or in a wheelchair following a diagnosis of fracture of the spine. When she saw us, 11 years after her fall, she was depressed and in a wheelchair. She could alsomove her legs back and forth at least 15 degrees. Clinical deduction told us that her central nerve was still intact! If her spinal nerve was transected, the muscles would have been wasted, and she would have been unable to move her legs. So our forthright comment was: “You will be able to walk again”. This was the first time that she had received a positive, hopeful comment. Her other complaints – overweight, cardiac failure, joint pains, menopausal syndrome, sleep problems and depression – were also addressed . She heard: “If all the doctors before said you cannot walk again, what makes your doctor so special that he thinks he can perform a miracle?”With sound clinical evidence we were not daunted. Within six weeks, she walked from her bedroom to the bathroom and called us, announcing for all to hear: “Doctor, I can walk again!” Our personal strategies of ‘heart of health care’ include not only what the patient presents with physically, but goes beyond to re-establishing hope, fostering religious convictions, and general good health. Mental, intellectual, social, financial, environmental, and spiritual health must be included! Diagnosis with the application of all the laws of healing – spiritual, mental, and physical – is a must! We hope that whatever strategies we used in the past or present (Then and Now), it is obvious that taking a good clinical history and performing a thorough examination with appropriate lab tests will always be necessary to obtain good healing and a happy patient. DR HAME PERSAUD Family Doctor FAMILY DOCTORS: HEART OF HEALTHCARE Scotland or Zaire, and chose Zaire because of its tropical climate. In Zaire, French was a prerequisite for entrance into university. After completing French language studies, she enrolled in a degree programme to pursue geology, mineralogy and chemistry. Shortly after, she transitioned to the medical faculty to pursue her lifelong dream, where she excelled in all the subjects but admits to having challenges with anatomy, which she overcame with hard work. She attended University of Lubumbashi and University of Lovanium. During her internship, she had planned to pursue specialisation in obstetrics and gynaecology. However, her husbandwas studying at The University of the West Indies (UWI) and she joined him in Jamaica. The UWI accepted her to pursue obstetrics and gynaecology, but her husband had secured a post for her with the Ministry of Health. After serving her internship, she was placed in various departments as a junior resident and gained a deep appreciation and respect for the different branches of medicine. Much of her medical life was spent at the National Chest Hospital, where she worked for 23 years as a senior resident and, at times, acted as the senior medical officer (SMO). She ultimately chose a discipline that would allowher tomaximise her knowledge, experience and skills to reach all patients and provide longterm care. Family medicine was her way to go, as this was the only discipline that merged the different branches ofmedicine, giving thedoctor a broad knowledge base towork in the office and in the community. One negative Dr Ononuju has found is that familymedicine doesn’t always receive the same respect granted to other specialties, and this view is held by some patients, also. The benefit of family medicine is that it equips one to handle and address the vast majority of medical problems in all age groups. Dr Ononuju is passionate about rendering service to her colleagues. She has served her medical colleagues by working towards improved conditions for physicians through organisational affiliations. She is a founding member of the Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica (AGPJ) and the Caribbean College of Family Physicians Jamaica Chapter (CCFP-Ja) and served as a past president of AGPJ, and is the current president of CCFP-Ja. She has held key positions in the Jamaica Association of Catholic Doctors, where she served as president and is also a member of: • The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association • Medical Association of Jamaica • Association of Consultant Physicians of Jamaica • Jamaica Midlife Health Society • Association of the Frenchspeaking Doctors • Past chairof the ImpairedPhysician subcommitteeof theMedical Council of Jamaica 2011-2019 • Member of theTobacco Coalition She received long service awards from the AGPJ and from the Government of Jamaica in 2018, and is a recipient of the Good Physician Award (2009) from the Medical Association of Jamaica. Dr. Ononuju is the mother of three sons. She is guided by the mottos: 1. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” 2. “The greatest thing in the world is to be loved, to be needed, and to be accepted just as we are.” DR SENI ONONUJU Chairperson of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians Jamaican Chapter JOURNEY CONTINUED FROM 7 ‘I gained a lot of experience between 1968 and 1993 at public hospitals such as Georgetown, Guyana; Lucea Hospital, Hanover; Mandeville Public Hospital, & Hargreaves Memorial Hospital, Jamaica’ VPC MEDICAL CENTRE 94M OLD HOPE ROAD, KINGSTON 6 Tele: (876) 630-5440-1 vpcmedicalcentre@gmail.com Victory Professional Centre (VPC) Medical Centre “Celebrating World Family Doctor Day” We Congratulate All Family Doctors For Their Hard Work In Difficult Times. Well Done! With appreciation Dr. Arna J. Brown Morgan Family Physician
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 11 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 DID YOU know that the addition of each family doctor to a population has been proven to result in fewer hospital admissions, fewer trips to the ER, and fewer surgeries?! Health Connect Jamaica honours all family doctors on World Family Doctor Day for their indispensable commitment to health around the world. Health Connect Jamaica is a private-sector network of primary healthcare providers that offers high-quality services across Jamaica. By removing the numerous obstacles now in place, we guarantee that all Jamaicans have access to private healthcare, not the least of which is lowering the financial barrier by allowing free access to those who are most in need. Developed by The University of the West Indies and funded by the generous support of the American people, through the United States Agency for International Development, Health Connect Jamaica coordinates all the required supportive services that allows our family doctors to focus on providing their excellent healthcare to our clients. We bel ieve that pr imary healthcare, with family doctors at its core, is the future of health service delivery and where the attainment of universal health coverage resides. Health Connect Jamaica is committed to growing our network and achieving the highest standard of health as a fundamental human right for every person. FOUNDER Health Connect Jamaica Health Connect Jamaica and World Family Doctor Day THE THEME for World Family Doctor Day is that we are the heartofhealthcare.That sounds like a bold statement doesn’t it. But is it? Let’s think about the function of the heart. It moves blood around the body, andwhenit stopsworking, then you stop working and being. That is the physical heart. What about the emotional heart? It is thought of as the centre of our emotion. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It isourmotives, our thoughts, whatmakesuswhoweareat thevery heart of it. It is core. But why is family medicine the heart of healthcare? I was fascinated this week by the fact that I hadmorethantwopatients this week saying that they did not have a generalpractitioner.Theyarenot sick, sowhydotheyneedone? I alsoteach acourse for theUniversityof theWest Indies, where I introduce our student doctorstowhat familymedicineis, and I amoften struckby the fact that they do not understand the importance and complexities of familymedicine. Familymedicineistheonlyspecialty designed to see a patient from birth through ageing to death. That is, we provide continuous andcomprehensivecare. Weare trained inaspectsof behavioural and social sciences that allow us to view the patient in a biopsychosocial sphere–wearenotonly concernedwiththephysical issuethat you are concerned with, but also the psychological and social spheres of disease.Weareabletounderstandthe great importance of how a patient’s support system, education,work, and familyaffect theirhealth.Work, family, relationships, thingsaffectourpatients to their core, things that affect their heart inmore ways than one.We understandhowyouremotionsandhow youfeel andthinkabout theillnesscan affect yourwell-being.We are trained in patient-centred care where we actively listen to your concerns, probe about stressors inyour life, establisha diagnosis foryourconcern, andinvolve youintheprocessofconstructingyour treatment plan. Without family physicians, the healthcare systemwould collapse as weareessential toprimaryhealthcare. We provide the first contact for patientsenteringthehealthcaresystem. During the heights of the pandemic, when many general practitioner offices were closed, and, essentially, primary carewas shut down, we saw how overly burdened our hospitals were and how those with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes suffered. Family physicians are the only physicians trained to manageawidevarietyof conditions. Weare thegatekeepersof thehealth of a nation asmany timeswe are the ones towhomnovel diseasespresent first. For any health system to excel, thereneeds tobe awell-established, well-executedprimaryhealthcaresystem, andcentral to that executionare well-trained family physicians. Warm regards, DR KAY-ANN BOOKALL Family Physician Community Health and Psychiatry Dept UWI Mona We are the gatekeepers of the health of a nation
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 12 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 FIRST, LET me express my gratitude to the members of the World Family Doctor Day Committee – Drs Andrea Purai (chairperson), Arna Brown-Morgan, Aileen Standard-Goldson, Aldyth Buckland, Seni Ononuju, Arlene Henry-Dawkins, Kayann Bookall, William Brown and our administrator, Mrs Linne Thompson-Hyatt – for the invaluable help, support and guidance in the preparation of this supplement. Indeed, it has been a team effort, and its success is due in large part to their help and guidance. My hope is that it captures the heartfelt sentiments of the family doctors. I also hope that we will together inspire more of our graduates to consider the specialty of family medicine, and also to become members of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians and the Association of General Practitioners in Jamaica, and to join us and become part of the frontline team that provides invaluable service to our peoples and, by extension, our nation. I must also hasten to thank our loyal sponsors, who have seen this annual event as one that is worthy of their support, and who have seen it fit to contribute to the success of this supplement in particular, that seeks to highlight the role of family doctors in the provision of quality healthcare to our various communities. Special thanks must also be expressed to the contributors of messages and articles, who all took time out of their busy schedules to partner with us to appreciate and highlight the roles family doctors play in guarding and preserving the health of our peoples. This year’s theme ‘Ethical Issues in Primary Care’ has been thoroughly addressed by our contributors and highlights one of the foundations on which successful and sustainable medical practice is built. TheWONCA theme ‘Family Doctors: The Heart of Healthcare‘ fittingly describes our role in the delivery of health; it speaks to the reality of our close, compassionate and committed interaction with our patients. It is our hope that as World Family Doctor Day continues to cement its place on our calendar of events, that the partnerships established will flourish. I would also like to, on behalf of the World Family Doctor Day Committee, express our gratitude to the advertising and marketing departments of The Gleaner, who gave invaluable support and significant guidance to this exercise. We also look forward to a fruitful partnership in the years ahead. Last, we give thanks to Almighty God, who has given us the vision, the strength, the resources, the fortitude, and the talent and commitment to make this supplement a success . Yours in service, DR DANE LEVY, BSc (Hons), MBBS (UWI) Honorary Secretary of the CCFP Jamaican Chapter, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine UWI Editorial note of thanks It is our hope that as World Family Doctor Day continues to cement its place on our calendar of events, that the partnerships established will flourish.
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 13 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 THE ANNUAL World Family Doctor Day conference will be held on Sunday, May 21, 2023, on the Zoom virtual platform. It promises to be a day of rich sharing of information by eminent speakers. In our present world, the issue of ethics is foremost in many minds and this year we will take a look at ‘Ethical Issues in Primary Care’. In session one, we will look at ethical issues in treating non-communicable diseases, palliative care and COVID vaccination. Speakers for this session will be Dr Alverston Bailey, family physician and associate professor at the University of Technology; Dr Dingle Spence, clinical oncologist and palliative care specialist; and Professor Peter Figueroa, professor of public health, epidemiology, HIV and AIDS at The University of the West Indies. In session two, ProfessorWinston Davidson, professor of public health at the University of Technology; Dr Karen Carpenter, director of the Institute of Gender Studies at The University of the West Indies, Mona; and Professor HelenTrotmanEdwards, chair of the Mona Campus Research Ethics Committee and professor of paediatrics and neonatology at The University of the West Indies, will take us through the following topics: Electronic medical records: the new art of medicine and its medico-ethical implications Gender-based violence: Ethical considerations Ethical conflicts in patient-centred care The day’s activities will culminate with a panel discussion where we examine the World Organization of Family Doctors’ theme for World Family Doctor Day which is ‘Family Doctors: The Heart of Healthcare’. Our panellists for this session will be family physicians, Dr Donald Gordon, Dr PaulineWilliams-Green, Dr Kay-Ann Bookall and Dr William Brown. Dr Brian James, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica, will also be part of this panel. The day promises to be an intellectually stimulating one and we invite all family doctors, doctors in other specialties, nurses, other members of the health team and all interested persons to participate in this important event. We look forward to seeing you there! Register at https://bit.ly/3p7zb2j WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR DAY CONFERENCE 2023 Dr Aileen Standard Goldson
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 14 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 Group picture after church service at St Andrew Parish Church Church worship attendees
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 15 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 Dr Owen James – honoree at the WFDD fair. Walkathon warm-up
NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023 16 WORLD FAMILY DOCTOR D Y 2023 THE WORLD Family Doctor Day Committee (WFDD) is a group composed of Caribbean College of Family Physicians, Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica, and thePostgraduateStudents of theFamily Medicine Programme, University of the West Indies.Thecommittee is celebrating the World Family Doctor Day (WFDD) 2023 on Friday, May 19, with its annual WFDDSupplement andonSundayMay 21, 2023, with a CME event. In addition, everyyear, thecommitteeselectsaneedy entity or entities as part of its outreach project(s). In this calendar year 2023, the committee has chosen the Beatitude Home as its outreach project. WFDD PROJECT The Beatitudes home, operated by Missionaries of the Poor and located at Iron River, Golden Spring, opened its doors to thementallyandphysicallydisabled inJuly2008. It originally startedwith 25 wards (people identified as in need), but that figure has increased over time. At the time of our visit, the home had 31 wards and 11-12 dedicated staff. A small contingent from the WFDD committee, Dr Seni Ononuju and Dr Dane Levy, paid a complimentary visit to the home to assess their needs. This visit came after Dr Donald Gordon (committee member) had brought their plight to the attention of the committee. The team was humbled by what it saw. Many of the wards have varying degrees of disabilities - some unable to walk, speak, or assist themselves in a meaningful way. Many have yet to attain age-appropriate mental and physical milestones. THE ENVIRONMENT On arrival at the site, there was little sign of activity. Prominent was luscious vegetation along the narrow stretch leading to the home and around the home itself. On the left was a building that resembled a church and in front were several other buildings, which were later discovered to house the wards who reside at the home. The area was well utilised and well organised, and there were different rooms allocated to teaching, storage of medications, a dining area and two rooms for recreational activities, and a main office (administrative). The staff complement is about 11 or 12 and includes teaching, catering, personal care, ancillary, gardening, administrative. On site, animal husbandry (pigs) was practised as a means by which the institution partially assists inmeeting its own food -consumption requirements. In addition, there was a large plantation of banana and plantain trees, also to help tomeet the food-consumption requirements of the wards. Despite the commendable well-kept surroundings and amenities, their plight is real. The fact that they are physically and mentally challenged does not exclude them as a significant part of the broader society. With these considerations in mind, the WFFD committee has embarked on this project to attempt to improve, in some small way, the quality of life for the wards of the home. It is hoped that through these interventions and others like these we can transform the lives of persons who, on their own, lack the ability or resources to do so. Contribution: Dr Seni Ononuju Inspiring hope through community outreach Dr Levy and Dr Ononuju with Brother Tobias. Services include: • Colonoscopy • Upper GI endoscopy • Sigmoidoscopy • Colorectal cancer screening • Polypectomy and more Signs that you may need to see a gastroenterologist: • Heartburn • Abdominal Pain • Diarrhea • Constipation • Blood in the stool • Belching, bloating, flatulence (excess gas) • Jaundice • Difficulty swallowing Location: Shop 70 – 71 Portmore Pines Plaza, St Catherine Call us today to schedule your appointment! We at FOSA want to highlight the important role of our family physicians and are always pleased to work alongside them for the best management of our patients. It is your astute management that allows patients to realise that rectal bleeding doesn’t mean they have hemorrhoids. We thank you for advising them of the need for urgent colonoscopy in order to rule out more serious conditions like Colorectal cancer. Keep up the great work.
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