If you haven’t yet taken a peek at KEMH’s new acute wing, do yourself a favour and do so the first chance you get. Click here to see picture.

Its modern architecture, and beautiful colours, are something to behold. Assuming that the exterior is reflective of the quality of care patients will receive, Bermuda should be very proud of this new asset.

While we should be extremely proud of this public/private partnership project, we must equally be concerned about how exactly we are going to pay for it. As of June 10, the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust was $9m short of the $40m agreed donation to BHB, in support of BHB’s financial obligation for the new facility. We still have variable annual service payments ($26.7m in the first year) to make for the next 30 years. And, there will be millions in operational costs to keep the hospital running.

Bermuda’s rising cost of healthcare involves far more than KEMH’s new acute wing. Both insurance companies and doctors are in business to make a profit. The Government is charged with ensuring effective and equitable national healthcare. The big problem is that Insurers, doctors and the Government, don’t exactly see eye to eye. Regulation has therefore become the hot topic that few have the courage, integrity and fortitude, to address.

What must not be lost in the midst of the controversy is that the healthcare system, even with all of its dysfunctions, is first and foremost driven by how healthy we as a society are. When our health problems increase, so does our need for medication, treatment and diagnostics. Doctor and hospital visits also increase, as do surgical procedures and post-operation therapeutic costs. Consequently, health insurance premiums are driven upwards, and taxpayers get caught in the middle as they struggle to meet these escalating costs.

So, where does this leave us? Well, how about we replace Quo Fata Ferunt, with “An Ounce of Prevention is Worth More than a Pound Of Cure”? The 1999 Adult Wellness Report, as well as the 2013 Health Disparities Report, contain shocking and frightening data. There is also data from the November 23, Royal Gazette that makes me wonder if the new hospital will struggle with rapidly increasing numbers of patients suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes:

“In 2002/3, just 54 patients received dialysis at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. But by 2012/13, that figure had ballooned to 157 patients.”

According to BDA vice chairman, Annabel Fountain, Bermuda has, “the highest rate of lower limb amputations [due to diabetes] in the developed world”.

As someone who is 5’ 9” and used to weigh 272lbs, I can sympathise with many out there! One day I bumped into my university gym mate’s wife, Erin, who spoke words to me as only Erin would.

The sanitised version of her advice was, “Bryant, I just sent Jason’s fat behind to the gym, and you should go too!”. Hmmm … what can one reply to a friend who remembers what your former-self used to look like? There’s little to say other than, “Okay, I’ll give him a call and see if we can partner up in the gym again.”

Oh, what a difficult journey it was! I can vividly recall the pain, then triumph, of being able to run for five whole minutes. 15 years and 80lbs later, I can now wake up after a late night out and bang out 6 miles just because the rising sun welcomes me to a brand new day. Thanks to a better diet, exercise and meditation, I can do so much more at 42 than I could at 27. Overall, better health makes life more enjoyable, because I feel far better physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Trust me, there are all sorts of excuses not to exercise, or give up a high sugar and fat diet. Thankfully, we are extremely fortunate in that Bermuda has pleasant weather for most of the year, which allows us to get outdoors and appreciate the incredible beauty of this small island. Hiking, walking, running, and even swimming, are superb avenues to better health. If you can save enough for a mountain bike, set yourself free on our beautiful trails and explore hidden park areas like Hog Bay and Lodge Point.

If you think that exercise has to be all work, consider physical activity that you can do just for fun. Especially if you are newly active, I highly recommend visiting Smash!, the newly-opened table tennis recreation centre located in the Commerce Building on Reid Street.

Their superb, family-friendly facility allows you to have a blast playing ping pong while burning off a few calories. Just about anyone, regardless of age or fitness level, can swing a paddle.

You can choose to improve your own health in so many ways. You’ll reap the benefits of a more enjoyable lifestyle, and we’ll all benefit from lower healthcare costs by reducing preventable chronic health disease. The new acute wing may look beautiful, but why pay KEMH a visit unless you really have to?