A 37 year old with heart disease

The young male heart is under attack.  Nadeem, a 37 year old heart aged faster than his real age.  He had a very advanced heart disease that is typically founded in elderly patients.  He was a heavy smoker, had worked hard on several jobs to support a family of 7, and was the sole bread earner.  He worked long hours, had poor sleep, and woke up very early for years.  The life style impacted on his health.  During two years he neglected his health in spite of having shortness of breath, pain in the chest and nausea.  He was too poor to pay for his medical treatment.

He was unable to work for 2 years, he lived off borrowed money.  He condition worsened, he was admitted at PIMS where the angiography revealed a 99% blockage and required a coronary artery bypass.  It was an expensive intervention which was amounting to Rs. 85,000/- which Heartfile supported through its donor funding.

Poverty has been deemed one of the major societal determinants of cardiovascular disease worldwide.  Nadeem’s disease evolved material deprivation, excessive psychological stress, unhealthy coping behavior such as tobacco abuse.  Poverty and his low socio-economic status were associated with lack of health care.

The cost of health care has pushed Nadeem further into poverty.  He has for years chosen between medicine and food and relied on prayer.  He continued to be burdened by poverty and disease.  He was part of a large segment of the population, economically deprived resulting in poor access to health care.  Social and economic inequality was detrimental to the health of many and among them Nadeem.  He sought help too late.

-Ends-

Mariam Mehdi
Senior Verifier
Heartfile

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