Imagine a hospital without an EKG machine. While that would be unthinkable in the U.S., in some Caribbean islands, EKGs often are lacking even in the larger hospitals. In July 2008, that will begin to change thanks to Rozann Hansford and MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Foundation.

 

EKGs measure the electrical activity of the heart to help to diagnose heart rhythm problems and detect possible heart attacks or other disease. They are considered necessary prior to performing most surgeries, to determine the patient’s heart health.  Without an EKG, doctors are reluctant to perform most surgeries and they are handicapped in diagnosing many heart diseases.

 

Dr. Vicki Coombs, executive director of MidAtlantic Cardiovascular Foundation, a non-profit organization dedication to saving lives affected by heart disease, is donating two EKGs to the Institute of Caribbean and International Studies.  Rozann Hansford, a research nurse at Johns Hopkins and Deputy Director of the Institute of Caribbean and International Studies (ICIS) Visiting Cardiology Program, will take these machines to Grenada on July 11^th.  She’s travelling with a cardiothoracic surgeon who will be able to perform open heart surgery on a tiny child thanks to one of these EKG units.

 

ICIS is a non-profit program run by the renowned physician and public health advocate, Dr. Peter Bourne, for the past eight years.  The mission of the ICIS Cardiology Program is to provide cardiovascular care to southern Caribbean patients who cannot otherwise afford it. “We’ve accomplished a lot with very little dollars,” says Rozann.  “There’s such a huge need in the region.  I’m very grateful to Vicki and MidAtlantic for donating these EKGs so we can facilitate opportunities for life-saving surgeries.”

Open Heart and Hundreds of Other Surgeries Soon Possible in Remote Caribbean Islands Thanks to Donation of EKG Machines 

Story by Linda Harder

 

(Right) Dr. Rafique Ahmed pictured with an EKG Machine