Atlantic Insurance’s Health and Wellness Fair 2019
A health and wellness fair was held today in downtown Belize City. Residents were able to get information on various health conditions and where they can access services. It was organized by Atlantic Insurance Company Limited which also provided details on its insurance policy for cancer patients. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
Today, at the Battlefield Park in downtown Belize City, residence were able to take advantage of free medical testing, as well as gather information on a number of issues from mental health to family planning services and even non-communicable diseases such as cancer. It is the third annual health and wellness fair organized by Atlantic Insurance Company Limited and its partners. The company also took the opportunity to inform the public about their insurance plan for cancer patients.
Zahia Ramclam
Zahia Ramclam, Business Development Manager, Atlantic Insurance
“We’ve partnered with the Belize Cancer Society, Belize City Council and other N.G.O.s to bring a little bit of education to our community, specifically on illnesses that are plaguing our society. And as part of our social responsibility, we also want to share a little bit more about the insurance policies that we have to offer, particularly our cancer plan where it is encouraging our population to become educated about what we have to offer so that in the event you are diagnosed with cancer, you are aware of what your options are.”
The event comes on the heels of the annual Cancer Walk and is very timely because the fight against cancer is very expensive. The insurance provides for assistance at the moment of diagnosis, given certain conditions.
Zahia Ramclam
“Many times when we are diagnosed with these illnesses, we don’t have the finance to go seek medical attention immediately so that’s really the purpose of our plan and the goal of why we are out there. The policy does have a ninety-day waiting period, meaning that if you buy the policy today, you cannot be diagnosed within the first ninety days. So let’s say you are diagnosed in month six, then you will be covered.”
It’s a great initiative that is promoting health.
Judith Hecker
Judith Hecker, Treasurer, Belize Cancer Society
“HPV and the papsmear certificates….we are giving it to the women so they can get free testing because like we said, early detection saves lives. Cancer is about learning. It is better to know the facts than to have to deal with the disease at a later date. So we would like to invite everyone to come out to the Battlefield Park, downtown Belize City.”
Aside from the Belize Family Life Association, the Belize Red Cross and the Ministry of Health, there was also Mind Health Connect. The fairly new N.G.O. is trying to break the stigma about persons with various mental health conditions.
Sahar Vasquez
Sahar Vasquez, Vice President, Mind Health Connect
“There is a lot of stigma against it. People don’t get help because they don’t want to be called crazy and not getting help results in loss of life, suicide, and just suffering for a very long time. So we are trying to educate people on what it is. I have mental illness. I am not crazy. I am here functioning normally, doing my thing and there are millions of people all over the world who do it. So we are trying to also get that word crazy away from mental illness. It is just like when you have cancer, diabetes, you can’t see it on the x-ray, but it is there and it is real and so many people suffer from it.”
Duane Moody
“So how can people access the services that you offer?”
Sahar Vasquez
“So we just launch a website, www.mindhealthconnect.com, it’s on our poster. If you go there, you will find lots of information, names of counsellors here in Belize that you can go and see and as we start to raise more money, we are going to do an education campaign around Belize to educate people on what mental illness is.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
