World Heart Day : Free Screening at Douala General Hospital

Ahead of World Heart Day on 29 September 2024, the Douala General Hospital has organised two days of free screening for heart diseases. The campaign, which ran from 25 to 26 September, was a moment for patients to undergo free heart checks for risk factors. Professor Félicité Kamdem, Head of Cardiology unit at Douala General Hospital, said they were using the campaign to raise awareness of the importance of keeping the heart healthy and to educate the public about the risk factors for cardiovascular disease. She stressed that the five main risk factors for cardiovascular disease are diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, tobacco and obesity. She said that preventing the above will go a long way in the fight against cardiovascular diseases. As far as the campaign is concerned, she disclosed that they are conducting complete heart checkup of the patients and examination on risk factors and patients who showed some symptoms were immediately put on treatment with 50 per cent reduction in payment.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), Professor Félicité Kamdem explained, are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Which include coronary heart disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle ; cerebrovascular disease – a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain ; peripheral arterial disease – a disease of blood vessels supplying the arms and legs ; rheumatic heart disease – damage to the heart muscle and heart valves from rheumatic fever ; congenital he...