Posted on: Mon 02-10-2023

Calls for intervention in public, private health sector

A consultant Cardiologist with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Dr. Eze Nwafor, has said heart problems are increasing, because of economic challenges in the country.  

The medical expert, who lamented the rising cases of heart diseases, blamed the development on economic policies, explaining that the devaluation of the naira has heightened the production and importation of drugs for the treatment of heart diseases.

Nwafor spoke to The Guardian during a medical outreach to commemorate International Heart Day, at the weekend, noting that the high cost of treating heart diseases, which, according to him, is occasioned by the economic reality of the country, has put pressure on families.  

He said: “The increasing economic pressure on the family is affecting patients with cardiovascular diseases. Parents pay school fees, feeding and transport, and by the time you remove all these, what is left for medical care will be small. People will, therefore, begin to resort to alternative medicines. 

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