The Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has initiated a strategy to improve the management of Blood Pressure of clients who attend the hospital as part of World Hypertension Day.
The hospital worried about the kind of meals BP patients still continue to eat, the hospital bought varieties of nutritious food and share with BP clients who attend the hospital to demonstrate to them samples of food to eat regularly.
World Hypertension Day, is celebrated every year on May 17. The day is dedicated to highlighting the importance of monitoring blood pressure and bringing global awareness to the 1 billion people living with high blood pressure worldwide. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is defined as a systolic blood pressure consistently above 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure consistently above 90 mm Hg. Hypertension is the number risk factor for heart disease, stroke, renal complications, and premature death. Usually, high blood pressure alone does not cause any symptoms.
Management of the hospital explained that “the Eastern Regional Hospital has taken the World Hypertension Day awareness drive to another level by sharing food items that are rich in fibre such as wheat biscuits and Royal cocoa drink to clients and visitors after counselling them on nutrition.
This is to equip them with the requisite knowledge on some preventive measures to ensure they live a Hypertensive free life. All clients and visitors of other departments at the Hospital will be educated on the complications of high blood pressure and how to manage the condition.
The Diabetes and Hypertension Unit will also continue to check the blood pressure of all clients and visitors at the hospital for the entire month” Management explained.
Hypertension remains a major cause of the deaths recorded at the Eastern Regional Hospital.
According to statistics, 210 deaths were recorded in 2018 at the facility from 1,131 hypertension cases, representing 13.0% of the total deaths of 1,627 recorded at the Hospital.
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) also known as stroke linked to BP also placed third, killing 105 patients during the year under review. CVA was the leading cause of death at the Hospital in 2016.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom.com/Obed Ansah
