Hypertensive Patients Benefitting From HEARTS Programme

The HEARTS programme, implemented in the island’s polyclinics to improve the outcomes of hypertensive patients, has been reaping success.

This was disclosed by Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, during a recent appreciation event for former chairman of the National NCD Commission, Professor Trevor Hassell, at the Ministry’s Culloden Road, St. Michael headquarters.

Senator Walcott said the programme, which was implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, has seen 50 per cent control of hypertensive patients within the polyclinics.

HEARTS represents six pillars aimed at strategically navigating cardiovascular-related complications – Healthy lifestyle counselling, Evidence-based protocols, Access to essential medicines and technology, Risk-based CVD Management, Team-based care, and Systems for monitoring.

He added that the Ministry was now looking at implementing the HEARTS-D Programme to help patients manage their diabetes.

Dr. Walcott said he had a “personal mandate” to try to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third. Approximately 80 per cent of deaths in Barbados are as a result of NCDs.

He stated that over the next few weeks, the Ministry would begin to gradually roll out a strategy, particularly in primary health care, to reduce the high mortality rate.

“Everybody is focused on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and tertiary health care, but the fundamentals of health care have to do with primary health care, the ability to have prevention, early detection, early treatment to get better health outcomes, and aiming to reduce mortality,” the Health Minister explained.

To achieve this, he said the Ministry was looking at a number of screening processes in primary health care facilities.  These include:

• the roll out of colonic screening from this month, initially at two polyclinics
• a cervical screening process providing mammography services within the QEH again, as was previously done up until 2008, where persons can have access to mammograms for early detection and treatment of cancers
• protocols for prostate cancer, recognising the anxiety of men as it relates to cancer testing

Minister Walcott pointed out that Government had previously implemented other measures to address NCDs, such as introducing taxes on sugar sweetened beverages, as well as “playing a role” when it came to tobacco control and alcohol.            

He further noted that the focus was now on eliminating trans fats from industrially produced foods, adding that more work needs to be done to achieve this by the target date of December 2025.

Author: Melissa Rollock

Publish: October 17, 2024