News Releases

UWI’s Medical Sciences Faculty Celebrates 25 with free public Health Fair

For Release Upon Receipt - March 12, 2015

St. Augustine


ST. AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago – Twenty five years ago, The University of the West Indies (UWI) opened the doors of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS) to its first intake of medical students at the St. Augustine Campus. The Faculty is celebrating that milestone year with a host of activities, the first of which is designed especially for the general public.

Titled FMS @25 “One Health”, the Faculty will host a free health fair on Sunday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mount Hope, near Amphitheatre A and the Medical Sciences Library. The One Health global concept acknowledges that all life is interconnected and interdependent. As such, One Health seeks to improve the lives of all species, human, animal and plant, through the integration of human medicine, veterinary medicine and environmental science.

Members of the public will receive the following services free at the Health Fair: blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol screening; cancer screening; child health and paediatric consultations; dental screenings; ear, nose, throat examinations and consultations; general medical consultation; orthopaedic; examination and counselling for pets and livestock; medication and nutritional counselling. There will also be a library display, short lectures and videos on healthy lifestyles; child health; cancer; eye and dental care and animal health.

The Health Fair forms part of a host of other activities planned for the week of March 15 – 21. Other activities include the burial of a Time Capsule and the unveiling of a mural on Students’ Day (March 19). These activities culminate with an Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception on March 23 for staff and alumni.

The significance of the 25th anniversary commemoration lies in reminiscing about the past and celebrating the success of its graduates: over 3,000 Medical Doctors, 405 Dentists and nearly 300 Vets, while acknowledging the contributions of the individuals who have contributed to its successes over the years. Currently, the FMS offers 33 postgraduate programmes and Faculty and students published more than 100 research papers annually. Dean of the Faculty, Professor Samuel Ramsewak, encourages the public to come out this Sunday, from 10.00 a.m., to take advantage of the free services on offer.

For further information on FMS @ 25, please call 225-4673, 645-0774, 645-5654 ext. 5020/5025.

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About The UWI

Since its inception in 1948, The University of the West Indies (UWI) has evolved from a fledgling college in Jamaica with 33 students to a full-fledged, regional University with well over 40,000 students. Today, UWI is the largest, most longstanding higher education provider in the Commonwealth Caribbean, with four campuses in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Open Campus. The UWI has faculty and students from more than 40 countries and collaborative links with 160 universities globally; it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology and Social Sciences. UWI’s seven priority focal areas are linked closely to the priorities identified by CARICOM and take into account such over-arching areas of concern to the region as environmental issues, health and wellness, gender equity and the critical importance of innovation. Website: www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)

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