00:00HANS International, the entirely self-funded medical mission, which came into the country
00:05on Sunday, has been busy at work since Monday at the SDA Community Hospital.
00:11Tobago-born Dr. Raynald Agar tells us of the over 8,000 people who registered, a significant
00:17portion has been attended to and have undergone various medical procedures and checks, including
00:22surgeries.
00:23By the way of personnel, we have seen probably close to the 6,000 marks by way of personnel.
00:32With the surgeries, we try to avoid the very big major surgeries, not that we don't have
00:37the capability of doing them, but again, we come here to do no harm.
00:42So if it would be that they are complicated, we don't want to leave any complications.
00:47So we're doing things that we know that post-op, they should not be.
00:52We trust God that there should not be.
00:54It's the third time the medical mission has visited TNT and Dr. Agar is considering taking
00:59it to Tobago in the future.
01:02As local doctors and several entities, including public, private and non-governmental organizations,
01:08lend their support to the initiative, Dr. Agar says one aspect of healthcare that needs more
01:13attention is cardiovascular diseases.
01:16He tells us there is a sense of urgency when it comes to illnesses like cancer.
01:20But, you know, the chance that you're going to die from cancer is much less than heart
01:26disease.
01:27In America right now, there's approximately 500 to 600,000 people that die every year from
01:35all the cancers combined.
01:37Heart disease alone, 1.6 million.
01:39So you're more likely to die from heart disease, but yet still there's no sense of urgency.
01:43Dr. Agar calls it a silent killer, saying a patient of his recently lost his 25-year-old
01:51son to a heart attack.
01:52So we're seeing younger and younger people dying from heart disease.
01:56So really there should be a sense of urgency and part of it is probably all the stresses
02:01and strains.
02:02So we're telling people we know that inflammation is the basis for the majority of disease processes.
02:07So we are trying to help people to decrease the inflammation by decreasing the stress, decreasing,
02:12trying to avoid tobacco products, excessive alcohol, ultra-processed foods.
02:18So the white sugar, the white flour, the hot dog, hamburger.
02:21Dr. Agar says the need for healthcare, especially affordable or free, is overwhelming her, as it
02:27is in other parts of the world.
02:29People who are not able to be seen as part of this mission will have a chance soon through
02:34another initiative being hosted by the United States Embassy, of which Hans International
02:40will also be a part.
02:41They have arranged for the U.S. Comfort, which is one of the best Navy floating hospital in
02:46the world.
02:47And they will be joining us from August 5th to the 11th.
02:53And so they will be doing surgeries at the dock on the ship.
02:57They're hoping to set a field hospital near the savannah where that Napa building is.
03:06So that's what they're hoping to do.
03:08So that will be the field hospital.
03:10There are people who would have the opportunity to see general practitioners for NCDs and surgeons,
03:15including those in pediatrics.
03:18And on August 27th, a team will be coming in from India with the aim of doing 2,000 cataract
03:23surgeries.
03:25As for the reason behind TNT being one of the countries where Hans International has
03:29provided its service, Dr. Agard tells us charity begins at home and it is about giving back
03:35to the people of the country.
03:37Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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