The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

NEARLY 1,000 people were treated, and ten critical surgeries were performed this month through the Ministry of Health’s efforts to provide free healthcare services to those suffering from foot issues related to diabetes or other health conditions before the Foot Fest initiative ended on Friday.

For the fourth year, The Ministry of Health partnered with Barry University to launch the annual Foot Fest. The initiative was held March 2 to March 7, with free health screenings, foot exams, and surgeries available at locations across Nassau, Exuma, and the Good News Seventh-day Adventist Church.

“We came here with a mission to bridge the gap in podiatric care, to stand in the way of diabetes-related complications, and to fight for limbs and to save lives,” said Dr Shanika Hill, associate dean of Barry University’s School of Podiatric Medicine and co-founder of the Foot Fest. 

Dr Hall said that up to Friday, volunteers and doctors were still treating patients to meet their goal of treating 1,000 patients. She said that the initiative had impacted 944 patients. The Foot Fest initiative has treated 4,000 people over the last four years through the partnership between Barry University and the Ministry of Health.

The Foot Fest’s closing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Health on Friday to celebrate the efforts of the over 50 volunteers who came together to offer podiatric care to Bahamians. The Bahamas faces a critical shortage of podiatrists, with only four practitioners serving a population of nearly 400,000 people. This shortage is even more alarming, considering nearly 20 percent of Bahamians have diabetes, a major contributor to foot-related health issues. 

Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville told reporters that most patients treated through the initiative were elderly. He said some geriatric patients may have chronic vascular disease and chronic diabetes over the age of 50.

“Most of our diabetics they lose sensation in their feet, and sometimes they walk around barefoot, and they can be stuck with an object and don’t even really know it’s there,” he said.

He noted that severe feet-related health issues sometimes result in amputations of toes or the feet themselves if not treated. 

Several volunteers who participated in Foot Fest this year highlighted the knowledge they received by providing health care in The Bahamas. Many also fondly recounted the bonds they built with patients, especially by teaching patients healthy lifestyles and habits.