Health experts are seeking official policy to aid in the fight of heart ailments due to expected rise in cases brought by the economic hardships creating a stressful condition that is likely to prompt heart diseases and risk factors such as hypertension.
“..it makes it harder for a person who either has heart disease or a predisposing condition to access healthcare especially as healthcare costs are borne out-of-pocket and there are many competing needs for scarce funds,” Chief Consultant Cardiologist at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Tochukwu Uwaezuoke told The Guardian yesterday
Uwaezouke further added that the economic hardships affect people in ways such as having poor nutrition, poor preventive healthcare, poor adherence to treatment due to costs of medications among other reasons.
The health expert is calling for better interventions by the Nigerian government to diminish the impact of the economic recession on Nigerians.
“This can be done at several levels from the government instituting policies that enable the economy to thrive, improving healthcare facilities making them more accessible and others.” Said Doctor Uwaezuoke
Uwaezuoke lamented that Nigerians don’t check themselves until they take ill. “We know that the economic climate is now tough. So, basically, everybody, every adult Nigerian should be checked at least once in a year. That includes blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, ECGs and the basic things,”
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