• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

Chase Fund Presents $5.4 Million Equipment To Heart Foundation

By: , November 19, 2013

The Key Point:

The equipment, a Stress Treadmill and three 24-hour Holter Monitors, were presented by Project Manager, CHASE Fund, Paulette Mitchell
Chase Fund Presents $5.4 Million Equipment To Heart Foundation
Cardiac Nurse, Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Camille McIntosh (centre), checks the blood pressure of Tawanda Johnson (right), before undertaking the Stress Treadmill Test. Looking on is Project Manager, Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund, Paulette Mitchell. The Stress Treadmill and three 24-hour Holter Monitors were officially handed over by the CHASE Fund to the Heart Foundation today (Nov.18), at the foundation’s Beechwood Avenue offices.

The Facts

  • Mrs. Mitchell noted that the equipment represents the beginning of improved services for those, who need the care that the Heart Foundation provides.
  • Since 2007, the CHASE Fund has contributed some $19 million to the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and was also instrumental in the purchase of the Foundation’s current Beechwood Avenue offices.

The Full Story

The Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund (CHASE Fund), today (November 18) officially handed over life saving equipment valued at $5.4 million to the Heart Foundation of Jamaica.

The equipment, a Stress Treadmill and three 24-hour Holter Monitors, were presented by Project Manager, CHASE Fund, Paulette Mitchell, during a brief ceremony held at the Foundation’s Beechwood Avenue offices.

The Stress Treadmill is one of the follow-up procedures used if a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) presents an abnormal result, while the Holter Monitor is used to observe a patient’s heart rate over a specified period and will register any abnormal rhythm that occurs.

Mrs. Mitchell noted that the equipment represents the beginning of improved services for those, who need the care that the Heart Foundation provides.

She said that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Jamaica, and acknowledges the role of the Foundation in addressing the condition, through its comprehensive emergency cardiac care programme, which is approved and certified by the American Heart Foundation.

“The Heart Foundation is an important element in the health care sector in terms of screening for hypertension, diabetes and heart-related illnesses as well as public education in these areas,” Mrs. Mitchell said.

Executive Director at the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Deborah Chen, in expressing gratitude for the equipment, said that they will enable the foundation to perform more tests for cardiovascular disease.She said that while these tests are available at select public hospitals, due to the high demand, the waiting list can be long.

“So, we were very happy when CHASE Fund agreed to partner with the Heart Foundation to make the equipment available here. We do have to charge for the services, however it still is cheaper than in the private system with the subsidy,” Mrs. Chen said.

Since 2007, the CHASE Fund has contributed some $19 million to the Heart Foundation of Jamaica and was also instrumental in the purchase of the Foundation’s current Beechwood Avenue offices.

According to the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey 2007/2008, 25 per cent of Jamaicans have hypertension and almost half of this number or some 25,000 persons have had a stroke.

Approximately 12,000 persons have suffered a heart attack; 65 per cent of women and 38 per cent of men are overweight, while 86 per cent of persons with high cholesterol are unaware of their disease status.

Last Updated: November 19, 2013

Skip to content