The National Cardiothoracic Centre, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, (KBTH) has launched the celebration of this year’s World Heart Day (WHD) with a call on the nation to make heart treatment free.
Professor Mark Tettey, Acting Director at the National Cardiothoracic Centre, KBTH who made the call in Accra on Monday, said Ghana needed to put together programmes and policies to help every Ghanaian, from newborn to the elderly, to access care for any heart disease free of charge.
He said the charges or fees paid patients for treatment was not enough to repair, replace and maintain the equipment used for treatment, stating ‘We always have to go begging for funds to buy new equipment, this is not very healthy.’
World Heart Day is celebrated on September 29 every year, to educate the world on the need to adopt lifestyles to nurture a healthy heart. This year’s celebration is on the theme ‘Use Heart, know Heart.’
Prof Tettey said the management of a heart disease was very expensive and few Ghanaians can afford it. ‘Investigations of heart diseases most often are not affordable to an ordinary Ghanaian, example for diagnosis of heart attack and treatment, you need to cough out not less than GHC 40,000.
He said cost of heart surgery was not less than GHC 80,000 and that there should be a way around the high cost of treatment to ensure that Ghanaians in need would not be denied access because of poverty.
‘Heart diseases do not respect your status in life; the rich, the poor, the young and old are all vulnerable.’ Prof Tettey said.
He said the heart was the most complex, powerful, and important organ of the body. ‘Our Longevity and state of wellbeing in life is determined by the heart, your heart is like a pillar holding your life, when it crushes, life ends and we need to attach much importance to the heart and adopt a lifestyle that will help nurture a healthy heart,’ he said.
‘Human beings have drastically damaged nature through pollution. Twenty-five per cent of cardiovascular deaths are due to air pollution alone; Seven million people in the world die from heart diseases caused by air pollution.
‘Inappropriately disposed mercury during galamsey is strongly associated with hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrhythmias, it is time to use our efforts for preserving nature to
reduce and restrict the air pollution entering nature and other damaging practices that are ultimately killing us,’ he said.
Prof Tettey urged the public to take good care of their heart by eating healthy, stressing; exercising daily and kicking out the tensions and the stress of life are helpful for a healthy heart.
He advised the public to check for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia regularly and comply with treatment when diagnosed.
The National Cadio Thoracic Centre, KBTH will dedicate the day, Friday September 29, to attend to and treat all forms of heart illness to mark the World Heart Day.
Source: Ghana News Agency