The original article can be found in: The Barbados Advocate By Patricia Thangaraj
Heart disease is no longer a disease that mainly affects men. In fact, women can be just as susceptible to this disease as their male counterparts.
This was revealed by President of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) Inc., Humphrey Metzgen who recently delivered an address at the dedication and official naming of the headquarters building in honour of the Founding Fathers of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) Inc., The Hassell & Symmonds Cardiac Care Centre.
“Among women, the mortality in one in three female deaths in the world. This is about one death per minute and it is more than the total number of women who die from cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Heart disease is no longer a male prerogative. In fact, this disease has spread to unborn children during the mothers’ pregnancy and to young people who are exposed to unhealthy diets, lack of exercise and smoking.”
When you then add the male cases to the female cases, you have a dire situation that is only set to get worst over the next two decades, said Metzgen.
“In case you have forgotten, let me remind you that heart disease is forecasted to cause three times more death and disability than all other infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, over the next 20 years. It has become the number one killer in the population.”
The incidences of stroke cases is equally troubling for both sexes, a trend that can be made worst due to inadequate facilities.“The story among stroke patients is equally distressing. One person dies in Barbados from a stroke every day. Inadequate facilities also add to these difficulties,” he detailed.
Having adequate facilities is highly important considering the urgent care that cardiac patients would need, he said.
“It takes just four to six minutes after a cardiac arrest and before a person experiences brain death and then complete death. The survival rate outside a hospital is less than one to two per cent.”
In recognition of these facts, the HSFB knows that despite all of the good work that they have done in the past and continue to do in terms of developing both prevention and rehabilitation programmes, there is still more that needs to be done.
“My dear friends, I have to tell you however, that our task is not over. In fact, it is just beginning as we marshal our management, financial and clinical resources to win the battle against heart disease and strokes. As President of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, I say to you that these metrics are horrifying. We clearly need to find a better solution if we are to improve the well-being and quality of life of all Barbadians.”
Accordingly, the renovating of the HSFB headquarters including putting in the latest equipment and having a detailed health screening programme, staffed by highly qualified professionals provides an opportunity for persons to seek care at this facility without a referral and it is the one of the first steps towards finding solutions, added the President.
