The Open Day held last Saturday at the Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care, attracted over 5,500 people. A total of 125 health care professionals delivered 21,178 services and consultations during the 10 hour open day, the ministry said.
78 persons (3 - breast screening, 30 – glaucoma, 45 – borderline diabetics) were referred for further investigation after the tests that were carried out during the open day.. Half of the 655 persons who had their Body Mass Index calculated were found to be overweight and consulted a nutritionist on the spot.
Commenting after the event, Health Minister Joe Cassar said that these numbers showed that increased awareness on health matters was leading to stronger interest in general health matters. He said that the positive attendance and interest shown by the general public encourage all those working in the field to further increase their efforts in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Dr Cassar and Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea thanked the public and the various health professionals for their participation.