They say the Aids and HIV pandemic is big threat to Belize's population but quite honestly, Belize's number one and number three killers are actually hypertension and heart disease, respectively. In 2005 more Belizeans died from hypertension than they did from aids and more people die from a chronic heart disease than they did from aids. What's more is that both hypertension and the chronic heart disease are preventable and at the least, they can be treated rather easily. Yesterday the Medical Associates opened a new department that may help save some of those lives. Keith Swift found out how.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is the view of inside the new Center for Studies and Advanced Cardiac Care at the Medical Associates Hospital. It looks like a regular hospital room with a bed and regular monitoring equipment but it is not.
Dr. John Gough, Cardiologist
"We will be offering all the non invasive cardiological studies which include stress testing on a treadmill. We can also have it done pharmacologically monintored on a echocardiogram. We will also echocardiography studies as well to monitor the global functions of the heart. As we have a complete unit for holter monitorization where we study the different rhythms of the heart. Sometimes we walk around with palpitations, we faint, we have light headedness and it is attributed to a lot of other things and no one thinks down the way of heart disease."
And to do that, the center is equipped with a million dollars in new equipment, equipment like this state of the art echocardiogram machine. On the screen, it resembles an ultrasound but doctors call it a window to the heart as it screens for and vividly shows, in real time, any abnormality in the heart. Even more dramatic is the view of the heart's operation from this angiogram which again monitors electrical signals of the heart. The center is also able to implant device like this called a pacemaker to normalize blood flow to and from the heart. And if you are wondering who needs to visit center, Dr. John Gough says, just about everyone.
Dr. John Gough,
"All the pathologies in adult medicine really lead back to cardiac disease and diabetes, hypertension, obesity, people that smoke, people that have problems with bulimics, cholesterol, people with kidney function abnormalities, thyroid abnormalities-all this leads back into cardiac disease. So if you are an adult and you haven't had a physical examination lately, well at least try to get one or two of them a year."
It is advice from the doctor I took seriously when I agreed to take a treadmill stress test. It began with about a dozen or so of these electrodes.
Dr. John Gough,
"This is cool this is just electrodes to register the electrical activity."
And with the electrodes tacked on - it was on to the treadmill. What I am about to do now is called a treadmill stress test. It is supposed to determine if there are any abnormalities or irregularities in my heart. Trust me, it was harder than it looked and after 10 minutes, I'd had enough.
Dr. John Gough,
"You did well Keith. In a next couple of minutes we are going to observe the recovery period and we are going to give you a formal report. Your pressure response and heart rate response was adequate; we did not provoke any arrhythmia."
Keith Swift,
And you would advise more people to come in and do what I did?
Dr. John Gough,
"Yes we need to have a general physical examination with your general practitioner, specialist, in the area of adult medicine and they will consider the referral over to the specialty."
And if you do - how much will it cost?
Dr. John Gough,
"I don't have the figures but I understand we are the most affordable right now in Belize, at least we're trying to have it that way."
Of course some would say piece of mind about one's health is priceless.
Both the KHMH and Universal Health Services have cardiologists on staff. A full heart checkup at Medical Associates will cost under $1,500.
