BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LIKE many other counties in the Caribbean region, St. Kitts and Nevis has a growing problem in relation to Non-Communicable Diseases NCDs), and Dr. Terrance Drew believes that more could be done locally to minimise this problem.
Dr. Drew, a specialist in Internal Medicine, has thrown his voice in the discussion, as he told SKNVibes during an interview that he is not happy with the state of play when it comes to NCDs in the Federation.
The Internist explained that at his Basseterre-based office of practice, he has seen people coming down with positive cases of NCDs – be it Hypertension or Diabetes – but he did not put a number to them.
“I can’t say that I have seen an increase but I can say that there is a high incidence already, which means that there are large numbers of persons in St. Kitts and Nevis who have these Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases that are known as NCDs.”
Drew reminded that NCDs are ranked among the highest recorded cases of deaths in the St. Kitts and Nevis.
He pointed to Hypertension and Diabetes as the leading NCDs that are popping up on regular basis at his practice or at his regular constituency outreach.
The often-outspoken medical practitioner, who is also a politician, attributed the growing problem to lifestyles, including eating habits.
“A number of studies would have been done, and I think a number of doctors would have also looked at it. But from my own perspective, I think it has to do with the lifestyle of our population.
“What do I mean by that? We eat a high sodium or salt diet, we don’t exercise enough and our population is overweight or obese. And these are the most important things that contribute to these diseases.”
It was just recently that Public Relations Officer of the St. Kitts Diabetes Association, Dr. Reginald O’Loughlin told SKNVibes that he has been seeing new cases of persons with Diabetes showing up weekly at his office.
That, he noted, is compounding the education drive that his organisation has implemented to combat the problem.
Describing changing lifestyles and eating habits as being difficult, Dr. Drew warned that “if they do not make these changes, then their health would not change”, adding that it could lead to early deaths.
Shockingly, the health practitioner intimated that over the years NCDs were more prevalent in persons over the age of 30, but he is now seeing cases in the 20s and teens.
“I am very concerned! This, again, has to do with the bad lifestyle that people have,” he stressed.
He has over the last several months embarked on a number of screening programmes within his Constituency and had recently hosted one at the St. Peter’s Community Center, where cases of NCDs popped up.
Drew suggested that that is the purpose of his monthly clinics, which is actually getting early detection of NCDs and other ailments.
“What I am going to do is go nationwide and go into those areas that we think are mostly affected and do the clinics there,” he said.
And he believes that more could be done at all levels to deal with the growing problem.
“A strategy is needed to deal with the problem from all levels, whether it be at the grassroots, community or in the schools. But I am not sure that the necessary expertise is available within the Ministry of Health to actually have those strategies implemented. But I think a lot more can be done here in St. Kitts and Nevis to deal with that problem before it gets worse.”
Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, who is the region’s point person on health, had attended the recently held Regional Heads of Government Summit in Grenada where NCDs was one of the topics up for discussion.
The regional leaders had put forward several recommendations that are expected to be implemented.
