Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, DM. FCCFP.Family Physician. Patient: Someone recommended a sleeping tablet, and I have been sleeping ‘like a baby’.Doctor: Really? How many have you taken?Patient: Well, I am not actually taking them. I give them to my wife! While most doctors have probably been faced by some patients, and explanations (or conspiracy […]
Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, DM. FCCFP.Family Physician. “Sleep awaits those of us who dare to dream”. Sleep medicine is a relatively new specialty in medicine, with literally just a couple of medical practitioners here trained in this new area. However, what happens (or doesn’t happen) when you sleep one night has a significant effect
Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, DM, FCCFP. Family Physician. The Climate Change Scientists were right. Last week we saw the prediction of extreme weather right on our rooftops, as Hurricane Beryl came a calling. We extend our condolences to our fisher folk in particular, and to many of our neighbors in other Caribbean islands, Venezuela,
Global warming – Ignore at your peril. Read More »
Dr. C.V. Alert. MBBS, DM.Family Physician. Cancers are a group of non-communicable (ncds) diseases that have been simmering on the back burner of most Caribbean islands, while diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases share the spotlight. A closer look at the statistics suggests that this should not be the case. Causes of Death, ranked. When one
Cancers in the Caribbean. Read More »
Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, DM. FCCFP. Family Physician. If you were born between 1870 and 1940’s, the so called “infectious diseases era”, you were likely to be infected by many germs, generally bacteria but sometimes viruses, and your survival options included disinfection, quarantine, and mass vaccinations. If you were born after the 1940’s, you
Staying healthy has many challenges. Protect you, your family and your planet. Read More »
Dr. C. V. Alert, MB BS, DM. FCCFP. Family Physician. For some time obesity was merely considered a cosmetic problem, or sometimes just a case of someone who’s lack of mental fortitude caused him/her to ‘let themselves go’. In Bajan lingo, obesity occurred in persons who had the two “l”s: lazy and lickerish. Sedentary activities,
Dr. C. Alert, MB BS, DM. FCCFP.Family Physician. “If you’re not getting older, you’re dead”. Tom Petty, musician, Grammy Award winner. It was a bit of a wakeup call when, on September 19th 2023, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the only tertiary hospital on the island, issued a Public Service Advisory, advising all with non-life threatening
We are getting older! Is our health care getting wiser? Read More »
Dr. C.V. Alert MB BS, DM., FCCFP. Family Physician. Unfortunately few Caribbean adults pay little attention to adult immunizations, except when the get a ‘rusty nail jook’ or other significant laceration and they realize that their tetanus immunization status has not been updated. So Caribbean Health (& Wellness) Ministries typically do not have adult immunization
The influenza (‘flu’) vaccine? Yes please. Read More »
Dr. C.V. Alert, MB BS, MSc, DM. Family Physician. Is our health care any good?. Is it horribly bad? The answer depends on your vantage point, and what parameters you use to evaluate the health care. In the ‘good old days’, at least up to the year 2012, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) produced and
What you see is what you get. How good (or bad) is Health Care in Barbados? Read More »
