Cardiovascular Health : 78 Cardiopads worth FCFA 145 millions offered to hospitals
78 Cardiopads worth FCFA 145 millions have been offered to some medical facilities in the ten regions by ADDAX Petroleum.
The kits were handed to the Minister of Public Health, Manaouda Malachie on Thursday December 5, 2019 in Yaounde.
HIMORE Medical, a medical company headed by Arthur Zang , inventor of the Cardiopad, is the technical partner of the project.
Invented in 2011, the Cardiopad is an electronic device to diagnose and treat Cardiovascular diseases.
Arthur Zang’s company will fulfill its own obligation by training health personnel on the use and maintenance of the device.
According to the terms of the partnership , the ministry will provide a semester statistical data on the use of the Cardiopad to ADDAX Petroleum .
Responding to the donation, Public Health Minister, Dr. Manouada Malachi, expressed government’s appreciation to ADDAX Petroleum , and called on other private sector enterprises to join the fight and prevention of diseases.
Eligibility
The Ministry of Public Health has the eligibility criteria for hospitals that will receive a Cardiopad . They are ;
1) The district hospital should be located in a rural or urban zone.
2) A sitting medical doctor should be present in the district hospital
3) The region in question should have a cardiologist .
4) The hospital should have equipment for reproductive health services
All 78 Cardiopads will be distributed to the ten regions as follows;
#Adamawa -7
# Far North -8
# North – 8
# West – 7
# South -7
# East – 7
# Littoral-10
# Centre – 10
# North West – 7
# South West-7
Cardiovascular Health in Cameroon
Cameroon counts only 65 Cardiologists for a population of over 22 million people. Out of this number, 90% of them are said to be resident and working in urban zones.
According to public health officials, 1 out of 3 Cameroonian suffers from Cardiovascular diseases , but diagnosis and treatment is slow and not accessible .
Many health districts or referral hospitals are also far from regional hospitals.
This accounts for the increase rates in annual Cardiovascular- related deaths.
Accordingly, the Cardiopads to be dispatched to the shortlisted medical facilities will facilitate diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from Cardiovascular diseases in all the ten regions.
This will be followed by training for medical doctors and nurses on how to use the Cardiopads.
After screening a patient for a Cardiovascular disease, the results will be sent to a Cardiologist by phone who will interpret and provide directives for treatment through the same medium.
But screening can be done at anytime without fear of power cuts .
Arthur Zang’s unique device has a solar panel that favors its use in the absence of electricity.
Cardiopad, Tracing The Milestone
Shortly after the device was created in 2011, the Ministry of Public Health ordered 20 Cardiopads for experimental use.
Over forty nurses and doctors from the Mbankomo and Mfou district hospitals, were successfully trained to use the device.
Stakeholders are hopeful that the donation of the 78 Cardiopads, will increase expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of Cardiovascular diseases.
Kathy Neba Sina