A healthy work place will lead to healthy habits

A WORK place that encourages healthy habits could reduce heart diseases and stroke.
That’s the message the National Heart Foundation (NHF) of PNG will be driving across the nation to all employers in preparation to mark  World Heart Day on Sept 27.
This year’s theme is  “Working with heart” and the NHF, which is based  in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province,  is staging a number of activities this weekend and next week in the lead-up to the World Heart Day.
The activities to be staged this weekend include climbing Mt Wilhelm and a “walk for life” to raise funds to assist children with heart problems throughout PNG, to ease the burdens of travelling expenses to and from Port Moresby while undergoing heart operations.
On Sept 25, there will be a float around the main streets and market carrying out heart awareness, distribution of pamphlets, free heart health check, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) demonstration and a drama on having a healthy heart.
CPR is a procedure used when a patient’s heart stops beating and breathing stops.  It can involve compressions of the chest or electrical shocks along with resuscitation through the mouth.
“We are encouraging all employers and workers around the country to make workplaces healthier in encouraging healthy diets, physical activities and restrictions on tobacco usage,” NHF’s Regina Graham told The National.
“The foundation aims to assist with the establishment of a fully functional cardiac unit within PNG and assist in funding of a research into heart diseases in PNG.”
Currently, the Sir Buri Kidu Heart Foundation in Port Moresby is serving the Southern, Islands and Momase regions while the recently opened heart clinic in Mt Hagen is serving the Highlands region.
It also offers assistance in areas such as:
* Promoting educational awareness programmes aimed at curbing the incidence of acquired heart diseases; 
* Funding the cost of overseas surgery for young Papua New Guineans with severe but operable heart defects; and 
* Funding the cost of the annual visit of an Australian cardiac team.
World Heart Day was established in 2001 to increase public awareness of the risk of heart disease and stroke and to promote preventive measures.
It has become a truly global event. Last year activities were organised in more than 100 countries.
The World Heart Day last year generated more than one billion media impressions and over 950 articles and reports on TV, radio, magazines and newspapers worldwide.
On World Heart Day each year, World Heart Federation members organise activities such as runs, public talks, concerts and sporting events.