The Ashanti Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, has revealed that heart failure has become a common reality in hospitals.
Speaking at the 8th Annual General Scientific Meeting of The Ghanaian Society of Cardiology, the health director revealed that the average age of a heart failure patient in Ghana is 50 years, which is nearly a decade younger than their Western counterparts.
He cautioned that the situation is critical because it poses a threat to the Ghanaian workforce and brings unprecedented household burdens to several families.
He added that data from the Sub-Saharan African region shows that hypertension is the predominant driver of heart failure, contributing to nearly 40-50% of heart failure cases
Dr Adomako-Boateng also said in specialised facilities like KATH, heart failure accounts for a staggering 88% of cardiac admissions.
At the event, he stressed the need to increase awareness, educate more people, and implement policies that are suited to Ghanaian culture and people.
The Ashanti Regional Health Service director also pointed out the lack of resources, such as echo and specific lab tests, in many district health facilities, as well as the economic difficulties patients face during treatment.
Dr Adomako-Boateng urged policymakers to consider including heart-related diseases in the health insurance policy to absorb some costs and relieve patients.
By: Janice Opoku-Agyemang
