Heart Foundation - providing solutions

Keisha Hill, Gleaner Writer

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in Jamaica. The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) continues to offer preventative services for those with cardiovascular disease and the opportunity for persons who have no idea what their risks are for the disease in order to be screened. Those who have already been diagnosed with one or more risk factors receive medical care and advice from the dedicated team of nurses, medical technicians, doctors, cardiologists and nutritionists.

Executive director of the HFJ Deborah Chen said the services offered by the foundation are subsidised so that they are affordable to persons who must have the tests done and are unable to do them elsewhere. "There is a gap between the persons who can afford and those who cannot. Unfortunately, it cannot be free, but we cater to everybody. We also partner with the Ministry of Health and work with those who really can't afford it," Chen said.

MEMBERSHIP OPEN TO EVERYONE

In 2011, the services offered by the HFJ were used by more than 83,000 persons. Of this number, 44 per cent of those who did the blood pressure checks were found to have stage one or two hypertension which needed medical intervention. Obesity was also of concern, with 65.2 per cent of persons screened being overweight. Screening also detected many persons who were not previously aware of their risk factors for developing heart disease.

"The value of the HFJ screening programmes is highlighted by these findings, but it also shows that more public education to increase awareness about the risk factors for cardiovascular disease is necessary. The individual will then have more opportunity and be more likely to make healthy choices," Chen said.

Membership in the services offered by the HFJ is open to everyone, however, medical care is not restricted to membership. You may join at any time for a fee of $1000. Membership entitles you to one annual ECG or cholesterol test at 25 per cent discount, one sugar or haemoglobin test at 25 per cent discount, unlimited blood sugar tests at the discounted price for diabetics, unlimited blood pressure checks free of charge, and pharmaceutical service with drugs at a reduced cost, among other benefits.

Services available to the general public also include urinalysis, body fat/BMI measurement, weight checks, biomedical clinic and home visiting service. The HFJ are also in the process of obtaining a Holter Monitor which is a 24-hour ECG machine that clips on to the waist and a stress treadmill.

Chen said plans are also in the pipeline to establish a cardiac rehabilitation centre. "When someone has a heart attack and they are hospitalised then discharged, they can visit the centre for rehabilitation. It will be a specialised centre set up like a gym, so even if we catch the person late with cardiovascular disease, we can at least help to prevent a heart attack," Chen said.

The Heart Foundation of Jamaica is a member of the World Heart Foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Inter-American Heart Foundation, and obtains funding from annual fund-raising events and donations.

(keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com)