Experience of stroke

One of the fasting growing public health concerns in Papua New Guinea is cardiovascular disease.   Due to poor lifestyle choices, heart attack or stroke is fasting growing medical conditions and killing many highly skilled workers.

Many people are not educated about the kind of food choices, socioeconomic stresses such as dysfunctional family relationships, work stress, and lack of self-care etc.

The story that runs through these pages is about a recent heart attack on a senior public servant who works and lives in Port Moresby- the nation’s capital city.

His name is Phi…. (nickname). He’s not a drinker (beer), chews buai or smokes. He’s a family-oriented man.

He did not care about his health because he’s not the kind of person that eats anything he finds.  All he cares about is work, family and life in general. He never goes for health checks, yet the services in Port Moresby is widely available.

However, he’s overweight (Body Mass Index - overweight). He has work-related stress. He did not care to seek counselling service, because he did not realize how important counselling service would help him.

Without knowing what will happen to his life, he conducts business as usual and lives a happy life with his family.

Just recently, he was rush to the Pacific International Hospital after he had experienced sudden numbness or weakness of his face, arm and leg. He was diagnosed as having a stroke. He almost died but fortunately, he survived to see more images.

Lesson learnt
He did not manage his lifestyle well than ending up in the hospital.
He paid huge financial medical bills.  
He’s now discharged and back to normal life but on medication and lifestyle modification plan.

Advice
If you have any health issues, seek medical advice earlier than waiting too late.