30 October 2022
Heart Disease is the top leading cause of death in Solomon Islands.
Deputy Secretary for Health Improvement within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Dr Nemiah Bainivalu announced this during the World Heart Day celebration in Honiara yesterday.
“Cardiovascular disease kills about six people every day for example heart attack itself kills one to two people per per day, stroke, cancer and diabetes one person per-day, the trend in admission at the National Referral Hospital has changed, before admissions made were because of infections but now it’s mainly NCD cases, admissions have increased to 84 and 87 percent, 23 percent of deaths at NRH is due to heart failure,” Dr Bainivalu said.
Smoking, chewing betel nut, alcohol consumption, excessive salt intake, overweight and obese are some of the main causes of heart diseases.
Pediatrician Consultant at the National Referral Hospital Dr Titus Nasi said the country currently doesn’t provide all services needed for heart treatment.
“We don’t have heart surgery in the country, the most common reason for us to refer adults and children overseas is because of heart problem complications of Rheumatic heart disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD),” Dr Nasi said.
Rheumatic heart disease is a condition in which the heart valves have been permanently damaged by rheumatic fever or complications and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels.
It is usually associated with a build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries (atherosclerosis) and an increased risk of blood clots.
Dr Nasi said both conditions can be prevented if people come to the clinic early to be screened.
“Once diagnosed with the condition it is advised that patients must follow doctors’ advice to live a normal life, heart screening is carried out at NRH and the provinces health centers,” he said.
He advises the public to eat local food and live a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart disease.
Source – SIBC news.
Comment.
This article raises the all important question when will the NRH be capable of carrying out heart surgery and be staffed with qualified cardiologists and surgeons to be able to deal with the cardiovascular diseases outlined by Dr. Nasi?
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
