Heart Institute of the Caribbean to host five-day medical mission

The Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) is embarking on a new medical mission in collaboration with the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) to provide several medical services and procedures free of cost for patients in need.

Dr Ernest Madu, one of the founders and consultant cardiologists at HIC, said the mission aims to ease the backlog currently being experienced in the public health sector.

“Our team was inspired to organise this mission after reading several press reports of [the] significant backlog of cases in the public sector resulting from the disruptions from the COVID pandemic. We understand that there may be a backlog of as many as 7,000 surgeries in the public system. We also know that many public hospitals are already being overwhelmed by demand and limited resources, but we expect that hundreds of pa tients will benefit from this initiative,” said Dr Madu.

The mission is open to any patient who is in the public health system on their waiting list or anyone needing urgent medical care for issues, including hypertension; diabetes; general surgery; gynaecology, including fibroids; open heart surgery; pacemakers; defibrillators; angiogram; angioplasty; hernia repair; ECHOs and ECGs.

HIC, along with its team of medical professionals, will conduct the surgeries for qualified patients free of cost at the full-service Heart Institute of the Caribbean Hospital located at 23 Balmoral Avenue with the help of donations and is hoping to treat as many patients as possible within a five-day period.

Jamaica’s public health system caters to approximately three million patients per year, with just over half of that number utilising the services at the 320 clinics, community hospitals and primary healthcare and the other 1.4 million at public hospitals. There is still the challenge to adequately fund and provide healthcare services given the increasing demand on the system.

Over the years, HIC has offered cardiovascular services, and diagnostic testing to economically disadvantaged Jamaicans through its HIC Foundation and HIC Cares Membership programmes. Established in 2005 to address a major problem of access to cardiovascular care in Jamaica, the organisation has managed to provide solutions, continue adding new services and expanding operational sites to make cardiovascular services more readily accessible to average Jamaicans.

EXCELLENT OUTCOMES

“HIC has resolved that problem to a large extent by democratising access to high-quality cardiovascular care right here at home in Jamaica. We have established facilities across the island in areas where high-quality cardiac care was not previously available, including Mandeville and Ocho Rios. We have also evolved into a heart hospital with 24 beds, including a 11-bed ICU capacity. Our heart hospital is registered by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and is the only heart hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean. We have also built a state-of-the-art cardiac operating theatre and offer the only private open-heart surgery programme in Jamaica, where we have recorded excellent outcomes,” said Dr Madu.

He explained that an estimated 7,500 Jamaicans suffer from a heart attack each year, but more than 90 per cent of these individuals do not benefit from timely intervention, which is known to not only save lives, but reduce the risk of complications or long-term disability. “We are mindful of the efforts being made by the government to ensure that all citizens get appropriate care, but we know that the demands can sometimes outstrip the available resources. We believe that it is in the national interest for the private sector to step up and support the efforts of the government. This is why we are doing this. We hope that all those individuals on the waiting list for various services, including angiograms, angioplasty, pacemakers and open-heart surgery, can take advantage of this unique opportunity,” he said.

Patients who would like to benefit from the initiative are asked to sign up by emailing info@caribbeanheart.com or calling (876) 906-2108 by October 17.