By Chioma Obinna

Cardiologists have called on Nigerian government to focus on developing a robust health insurance scheme complimented by expanded private health insurance as a major strategy in curbing the rising incidences of cardiovascular diseases, CVDs, in the country.

The cardiologists who were in Lagos to discuss current best practices in the management of cardiovascular diseases posited that developing such a robust scheme would also help develop the kind of health care infrastructure that will be needed to treat and better manage the emerging threats of CVDs and other non communicable diseases in the community.

Speaking at the 2nd Annual Symposium tagged: “Advancing Cardiovascular Education, Research and Patient Care”, a Nigerian Cardiologist based in Macon, Georgia, Dr Obinnaya Emerole noted that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases is increasing in Nigerian communities due to rapid urbanisation.

Emerole, who is the President, Cardiovascular Education Foundation, said the population needs to be educated so that the people know how to take better care of themselves and also build capacity in the healthcare system.

“We also have to find a way to address accessibility and availability because we find out in our studies that in conditions like High Blood Pressure, HBP, about one third of the people who have it don’t even know, one third is untreated and among those who are treated only one third are controlled. There are multiple reasons for these. Some people may not have access to medications. There are things the government has to do in terms of healthcare policy. There are things healthcare providers have to do in developing better strategies to manage the patient and there are things the private industry has to do in terms of expanding our capacity to deal with this problem.”

Nigerian Electrophysiologist, based in Georgia, Dr. Felix Olayinka Sogade blamed the rise in sudden deaths to late detection of abnormal disorders. Sogade argued for latest technology with potential to completely eliminate some CVD conditions.

He said the team carried out procedures on correcting cardiac abnormalities in 10 Nigerians free of charge, using pacemakers and defibrillators.

Head, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, CMUL/LUTH, Prof. Janet Ajuluchukwu acknowledged that the advances in medicines is currently driven by technology, hence the need for Nigerian professionals to be acquainted with the practice. “We are advocating as part of best practice for hypertension and high blood pressure measurement to be part of routine during hospital visit because it has no symptoms’ she said.