Don't hold back. Feedback!

We had a pleasant and busy few days at the Swaziland International Trade Fair which ended this past week, and would like to thank our many customers that came to the Dups stands. Some were full of praises for the work that we do, some were disgruntled about what they feel we haven’t done, while others had some misconceptions about Dups products and services. We were happy to see all of them as the feedback, negative or positive, helps us to improve the quality of our service to customers. We will be addressing the feedback in upcoming instalments, so that those that may have similar concerns but did not make it to the Trade Fair can have them addressed too.

The Dups Wellness Day was held this past week and we had a great day of fun in the sun. The benefits of a good workout can never be overemphasized. Although many, especially the couch potatoes, limped their way back to the office the next day because of muscular aches, we do hope that all our staff members and customers will continue to have or adopt an active lifestyle. It was not just fun and games at the Wellness Day as health professionals also graced the occasion to do health check-ups and give advice to those who needed it.

Having regular health checks is of paramount importance. There are diseases that are known as silent killers because sometimes they disguise themselves and just creep up on you without a warning, without you even suspecting things are going haywire in your system. In the past two weeks, there were three deaths reported in the media of people who just collapsed and died out of the blue. Although the causes of death have not been disclosed, those close to the last person to collapse said she had been a hypertension patient.

According to health experts, untreated hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and can also damage the kidneys and increase the risk of blindness and dementia. High blood pressure interacts with other major risk factors such as diabetes and high levels of cholesterol to amplify the risk of heart attack and stroke. Diabetes and high cholesterol are also classified among the top 10 silent killers because sometime they do not always present with noticeable symptoms.  In other words, by the time one might get diagnosed, the damage would have already been done over a period of years. To nip this in the bud, we need to regularly get checked out. There are clinics, hospitals and pharmacies around Swaziland that do these checks at reasonable cost. More importantly, since these are lifestyle diseases, we need to improve how we lead our lives by eating healthily and getting more active. It doesn’t have to cost money to afford a workout. One can jog on the roads free of charge, or do some exercises at home, for at least 30 minutes every day to keep lifestyle diseases at bay. 

A number of people inaccurately believe only overweight people need to exercise and watch what they eat. However, slim people are not immune to lifestyle diseases and also diagnosed with high cholesterol and hypertension. Having high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. So even if you feel your weight is ideal, you still need to eat well and be active.

The facts on lifestyle diseases show that if they go untreated, things can only get worse. In the same way, if there are issues you need to be addressed at Dups, don’t let them fester in your heart. Our doors and ears are always open. You don’t have to wait for the next trade fair to highlight your concerns. Call us on 2505 2028 or pay us a visit at our offices in Manzini, Matata, Matsapha, Simunye, Nhlangano, Mbabane, Piggs Peak and Siteki. You can also send all your queries to info@dupsgroup.com, www.facebook.com/dups or on Twitter @dupsinsurance, and we will gladly deal with the concerning issues.