Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert told participants of the 10th Annual Eight Weeks to Wellness Community Programme that when the FNM regains control of the country in 2017, healthcare will not be placed on the back burner.
The FNM leader said the “health of a nation is the wealth of a nation.”

“Diabetes is now considered a “national epidemic” in The Bahamas and the fifth-leading cause of death for all ages locally with a rate of 29.2 deaths per 100,000 persons annually,” he said.

“The last Free National Movement Administration made preventative illness a priority and introduced the Prescription Drug Plan to ensure access to medication in a timely fashion. Upon our return to office, the FNM will make healthcare a priority and will continue the remaining phases of our health plan and advancing initiatives such as this. Governments must continually review successful programs like this one and where possible implement and integrate them into our National healthy lifestyle initiatives.”

The eight-week Wellness Programme was coordinated by the Adventist Health Professionals Association in partnership with Better Living Health Care Centre and the Bahamian Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians in a joint effort to give back to the community to help relieve the burden of chronic diseases that are negatively impacting Bahamians.

“Over the past ten years because the programme has been done for the schools and the wider community, thousands of Bahamians have been impacted,” Seventh-Day Adventist Health Ministries Director Ms. Idamae Hanna said.

“We never focus on weight, we focus on health principles – some of the 10 components include drinking at least eight-glasses of water daily; eating at least five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, exercising three to five times during the week and getting seven to eight hours of rest each day. It has been scientifically proven that combining all of the 10 components people lose 10 to 12 pounds during the programme.”