Latest update December 28th, 2024 2:40 AM
Latest News
- Jagdeo dodges question on whether Exxon formally said it will not renegotiate 2016 contract
- Gas-to-Energy contractor submits new claims to arbitration panel over soil conditions
- Israeli soldiers burn Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital, force hundreds to leave
- 100 not out!
- US EXIM Bank approves US$527M loan for Gas-to-Energy project
CHI mounts study of heart diseases in Guyana
Cardiological-related ailments are among the most challenging health problems facing the local health sector, and according to Head of the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI), Dr Gary Stephens, the root cause of this state-of-affairs could be aptly analysed with a study.
According to the doctor, during an interview with this newspaper, heart cases have a certain mix of a number of factors including genetics, race, and even diet.
Dr Gary Stephens
Dr Stephens has on a number of occasions alluded to the fact that the CHI list of cardiological patients that are yet to be attended to is seemingly inexhaustible as cases are added constantly.
He pointed out, though, that to him it is not unusual, since Guyana has a similar population mix as many countries with a similar heart disease rate.
“Trinidad has about 1.6 million people and they have three heart surgery programmes going at the moment. They told me just recently they have a waiting list as well,” Dr Stephens related.
However, the Cardiac Surgeon highlighted the fact that all of the cardiologists that he has brought to CHI have expressed surprise at the extent of the disease here. In addition, the doctor observed that the patients here often do not fit the regular profile of heart patients as is known in the United States where he is based.
“The majority of the heart cases we see are younger and are not obese as we are accustomed to seeing…so there may be some genetics involved and this has to be figured out. I think it would make the basis for a great study once we have enough numbers.”
Accordingly, Dr Stephens said that efforts are being made by CHI to carefully chart all of the patients who are operated on to find whether there is a common thread that is specific to Guyana.
“If we find evidence of factors specific to Guyana we can go out and educate people of perhaps the need for a change in their lifestyles or to explain to them that there is a certain group that may be at higher risk than another.”
And though it may take a number of years to make such determinations, Dr Stephens said that plans are already on stream, even as he speculated that the process may take a number of years before realistic data can be derived.
In the meantime, CHI is poised to offer the best of cardiological services to the local public at a sustained reduced cost.
During the past weekend, CHI conducted a number of operations, including about seven stenting procedures which saw the utilisation of the latest Medtronic Stent which is currently not even available in the US, Dr Stephens said.
“It is big in Europe and is the latest model of stent available. It is drug-eluting and each one costs us about US$1200. With the cost of shipping and everything else the actual cost is a bit more…And I must confess that the deal we offer is not available in any other part of the world,” he insisted.
According to Dr Stephens, although it is difficult to maintain the reduced cost, CHI at its inception had made a commitment to the government to keep the cost down and that was the whole selling point.”
“We are struggling to do it but we have not been cutting corners, we have been delivering a quality service to the people here. If you get a stent in Guyana you can be sure it is the same stent you will get in any other part of the world,” Dr Stephens asserted.
(Sharmain Cornette)
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A Tale of Two Non-appointments
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- In Guyana, under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) government, the Constitution... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
