JKCI conducts heart screening for students to mark the institute’s 10th year

BAGAMOYO: JAKAYA Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) it has conducted a heart disease screening for Primary and Secondary school students in Bagamoyo District, Coast Region, in commemoration of the institute’s 10th anniversary.

The heart disease screening is being held for two days through a special camp led by Samia Suluhu Hassan Tiba Mkoba to help children detect if they have heart disease and initiate treatment.

Speaking during the camp that began yesterday in Bagamoyo District, a pediatric cardiologist from the Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute (JKCI), Evelyne Fulumbe, said JKCI is celebrating ten years since its establishment by carrying out various activities in the community, including providing screening and treatment services for heart disease in the community.

“We have arrived in Bagamoyo District to test the hearts of children in primary and secondary schools, mainly to see if they have heart valve diseases caused by valvular heart disease that can affect the heart valves”, said Dr. Evelyne

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Dr. Evelyne said that in the camp, they are examining students for symptoms of heart diseases, and if they have any of these diseases, they refer them to JKCI for further treatment.

“The effects of heart valve diseases if treated late can lead to a child having to undergo heart surgery and sometimes taking medication for a long time, but if treated, the child receives medication to prevent further infections and is fine”, said Dr. Evelyne

Dr. Evelyne has urged parents whose children have been diagnosed with heart problems to work on the instructions that JKCI experts have advised so that these children can receive treatment quickly and continue with their studies.

For her part, the Assistant Health Teacher from Hassanal Damji Secondary School, Anitha Mlindwa, said that in her school, they have encountered various challenges of children having different diseases, including heart diseases, so the service of testing children’s hearts will help them identify them quickly and protect them from other challenges.

Teacher Anitha said that the school’s lack of health professionals is a challenge because if a child experiences health problems at school, they have to allow him to go home so that he can be taken to the hospital for treatment, where some students buy medicine and use it without going to the hospital for examination.

“We once found one child who was taking it often, and when he was examined, it was found that he had a heart problem, so he was given permission when he needed to go to the hospital, but we are grateful because he has now completed Form Four and is doing well”, said Teacher Anitha.

Teacher Anitha said that the arrival of specialists from JKCI brings hope to her students as it will help them identify if they have heart problems, and for the school, it will make it easier for teachers to assign work responsibilities according to the students’ health.

And a Form Four student of Hassanal Damji Secondary School, Baswary Mohamed, said the heart disease screening conducted on students is good because they have been able to know their health conditions, especially their heart.

“I am very grateful to these doctors for coming to check our heart, it has given us the motivation to like to check our health regularly”, said Baswary

Baswary has requested other health professionals who treat various diseases, including cancer, kidney, and other non-communicable diseases, to visit Bagamoyo District and provide screening services for these diseases to students so that they can build a healthier nation.