Graydon Sealy Student Council Urges Implementation of School Clinical Services Program in Barbados

The Student Council of Graydon Sealy Secondary School is calling for a school clinical services programme.

On Friday, president Melissa Cumberbatch, who is also a senior prefect at the Paddock Road, St Michael school, told Barbados TODAY that the council was deeply concerned about the lack of access to medical services some students discover when seeking assistance because of their family’s financial standing.

“That is why I feel there should be a programme in Barbados where young people, whose parents are not fortunate enough to provide the care they need, could have access to nutrition counselling and medical services. It should be implemented in the schools,” she recommended.

“Children can go and get regular advice, and get checkups without the associated cost of an arm and a leg. This will make them feel more comfortable about their body, respect it and make informed decisions about how they treat it. It could be something done in schools once a month or so,” the student leader added.

She said not having appropriate access to such services was a major factor that contributed to the apparent disinterest in serious health issues by many adolescents.

“Although there are a lot of activities and national events held to bring awareness to breast cancer and other cancer-related illnesses, I feel we need to do more,” she said during a day of activities held at the school to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is internationally recognised in October.

“A lot of young men think that it is something they cannot develop and a lot of young women don’t prioritise self-care and do not know what is going on with their bodies and the changes their bodies go through . . . .”

Cumberbatch added: “I would encourage parents to at least try to talk to their children about the importance of self-care from a young age and get them on a dietary plan so they can pay more attention to their nutrition and get more physically active. A lot of parents may not have the resources to do this and this could lead to the [disinterest] we are seeing from students about their health.”

This was the fifth year Graydon Sealy recognised Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting several activities that included students wearing pink on Fridays. (SZB)