Prevention Key In Fight Against Heart Disease

As cardiovascular disease continues to top the list of causes of death in the region, Vice President of the Caribbean Cardiac Society, Dr. Taarik Dookie, says healthcare professionals are gearing up to confront the crisis head-on.

Trinidad and Tobago will host the 38th Annual Caribbean Cardiology Conference at the Hyatt Regency from 23rd to 26th July. The event is organised by the Society under the theme “Strengthening Hearts, Empowering Communities.” Dr. Dookie says this year’s event will bring together healthcare professionals from across the region and beyond.

“The Caribbean Cardiac Society has been around for many years, since the 80s. It originally started in Jamaica, and it is based in Jamaica still, but we’ve expanded quite significantly to be regional. We have members from the Dutch and French and Spanish-speaking territories, but the bulk of the membership is from the English-speaking Caribbean. It’s really a group of healthcare professionals, not just cardiologists, nurses, doctors, technicians, support personnel as well, who are trying to help support cardiology care for our population.”

Though not open to the public, he says the conference plays a critical role in improving patient outcomes by expanding access, education, and collaboration across borders. Dr. Dookie notes public awareness remains just as vital, and it starts with prevention.

“So it’s a good network of interaction, collaboration, education, training, sharing experiences, deciding what works in one part, may not work in another part of the world. What works here might help another part of the country as well. So not all new things are better, not all new things are applicable. But many times it’s trying to, again, expand access, expand education. Major things that we are doing are accessible, feasible, but also equitable in terms of the healthcare environment for us in the Caribbean. So we need to understand, get your checkup. Heart disease is preventable, it’s avoidable, it can be detected.”

Delegates from Latin America, the US, Europe, and the wider Caribbean will take part in the four-day conference as the region aims to strengthen its fight against non-communicable diseases.

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