THE Balaclava Health Centre in St Elizabeth has resumed its adolescent health clinic for youth aged 10 to 19 years.

The adolescent health programme, which was started in 2013 through the Ministry of Health and Wellness Adolescent Standards and Criteria, became inactive due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has restarted with the purpose of helping adolescents to manage their health and development.

Services offered at the clinic include HIV counselling and testing for adolescents 16 years and older; mental health screening and counselling; drug abuse counselling; nutritional counselling; oral health services; medical check-up; counselling for interpersonal conflicts; and assistance with homework.

The clinics will be held every fourth Friday, monthly, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm for adolescents in schools, while unattached adolescents can access the services from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Assistant medical officer of health at the Balaclava Health Centre Dr Carol Hamilton argued that with the challenges that adolescents face at this time, it is important for this safe space to be provided for them.

“Our aim is to ensure that our adolescents are catered for. You know these are formative years of their lives and they have a lot of things coming at them at this age.

They have different changes, psychological, mental health, and physical changes, so we as health-care workers will assist them in adjusting to these changes. So at the clinic we will be providing a friendly environment. We will also be partnering with external stakeholders to provide recreational activities,” said Dr Hamilton.

Adolescence is a period characterised by rapid physical, cognitive, and social changes, including sexual and reproductive maturation.

Adolescents are generally healthy, but their risk-taking behaviour poses a challenge to their health and development. Issues, including sexual identity and dealing with one’s sexuality, add to the dynamism of the period and cannot be overlooked by any service that provides for their need.

The Balaclava Health Centre was refurnished and officially reopened in 2017, following an injection of $14 million from the Culture, Health, Arts, Science and Education (CHASE) Fund.

The refurbishing included replacing the timber roof with concrete; reinforcing the foundation to make it structurally sound; the addition of 400 square feet of office space; installation of concrete cupboards; and laying new tiles, among other things.

With the expanded space and amenities the health centre has since been better able to serve the more than 15,000 people who reside in the community and neighbouring districts.