Public Health Ministry installs automated blood pressure monitors in public places

[webfact]

Public Health Ministry installs automated blood pressure monitors in public places

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand currently has 13 million people suffering from high blood pressure and the figure is expected to increase. Almost 50% of these people are not aware that they have high blood pressure, which can lead to other complications. To address the issue, the Ministry of Public Health has joined hands with relevant units to install 100 automated blood pressure monitors in public places so people can check their blood pressure and assess their condition themselves.

 

The Department of Disease Control, the Department of Local Administration and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) signed an agreement to increase accessibility to automated blood pressure monitors. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul.

 

According to recent studies, 24.7% of the Thai population, or about 13 million people, have high blood pressure, with 45% of them not aware of their condition. Because there are no clear warning signs of high blood pressure, it can lead to other complications like stroke, coronary artery disease and kidney disease, before being detected.

 

The Ministry of Public Health and relevant agencies are inviting members of the public to look after their health by giving up smoking and drinking, engaging in physical activities and avoiding eating too much saturated fat, salt and sugar. People can check their blood pressure using automated blood pressure monitors installed in various public places, such as district offices and government centers. The project is initially being launched in Bangok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.

 

The Public Health Ministry has also launched the "Know Your Number, Know Your Risk" health awareness campaign, with blood pressure monitors being set up at hospitals and government offices. Meanwhile, the ministry has provided courses for village volunteers to become house doctors in their communities and assist with the campaign.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2019-10-29

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[sunnyboy2018]

Excellent idea. 68/120  is ideal

[Crossy]

BP monitors, good idea, certainly.

 

Defibrilators, better idea? The one that I know of is in the reception area of the BTS Admin building.

[faraday]

Yup, a great idea, & teaching Basic Life Support at schools would also be a good move.

 

 

[quadperfect]

The science behind taking blood pressure is wrong. The taking of blood pressure is not something you want to do in a public place or a doctors office or at 9 am after rushing to work in a mad max race against death on thai roads and a cup of coffee in youre hand.

Think people. This is just big pharma .

Get educated.

People taking 2 blood pressure meds have a higher chance of morbidity than if they took nothing at all. And most people are put on 2 different types. Amlodopine is almost always used with another.

Dont do it. It will ruin youre life the day you start. It will effect youre entire physiology..

it will raise youre cholesterol so then youre doctor will give more pills.

Thailand loves pills just like america. Big pharma lives in thailand .

 

[Tarteso]

Public Health Ministry installs automated blood pressure monitors in public places... 

 

..With enough polution’s level.

[happy chappie]

By the amount of growing fatties I've seen they should be more worried about diabetes.

totally obsessed with blood pressure even when you go in for a twisted ankle.

i went in a small hospital as I thought my heart was playing up.first bp machine all ok.then a blood test.came back in minutes and said all is fine.i think they just binned the sample.no results just a 'your ok' 

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

BP monitors, good idea, certainly.

 

Defibrilators, better idea? The one that I know of is in the reception area of the BTS Admin building.

No need. Just touch any of the thousands of wires hanging over pavements for shock of your life (defibrillation)

[faraday]

Most people are not put on 2 types of BP medication.

 

They might be if their bp is not controlled by the initial compound.

 

 

[Beggar]

4 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Excellent idea. 68/120  is ideal

For the pharma industry... 

[phantomfiddler]

6 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Excellent idea. 68/120  is ideal

I think you mean 120/68 ????

[Krataiboy]

Thailand currently has 13 million people suffering from high blood pressure and the figure is expected to increase. Almost 50% of these people are not aware that they have high blood pressure

 

I'd like to see the evidence behind these hard-to-believe statistics.

 

In my experience, most people only become aware of having hypertension after a routine test while visiting at a hospital or clinic. Is it really a fact, as the Health Ministry appears to be saying, that nearly half these patients are not even told they have a problem?

 

If so, then somebody needs to lean heavily on public and private healthcare providers who are clearly falling down on the job.

 

There's another point worth considering. A single random blood pressure test taken on the hoof during a shopping trip or school run (and, knowing how things are here, probably on poorly-maintained machine) could easily produce misleading results.

 

This, of course, will be of little concern to Big Pharma and the expensive private hospitals and clinics likely to profit from dispensing yet more costly hypertension medication to the hypochondriac well-heeled. But it would be another unwelcome straw on the back of the creaking state hospital system used by the vast majority of people.

 

Since, presumably, the taxpayer is going to foot the bill for this well-intended but possibly flawed project, may I humbly suggest a small-scale trial prior to any nationwide roll-out.

 

 

[GreasyFingers]

4 hours ago, quadperfect said:

The science behind taking blood pressure is wrong. The taking of blood pressure is not something you want to do in a public place or a doctors office or at 9 am after rushing to work in a mad max race against death on thai roads and a cup of coffee in youre hand.

When I had to visit a hospital in Phitsanulok for eye problems my BP was always high because of driving in the traffic there. Told them to wait 20 minutes for it to get back to normal.

[Assurancetourix]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand currently has 13 million people suffering from high blood pressure and the figure is expected to increase

Rather than installing useless devices, it would be (perhaps) more wise to educate the youngest age.
Because obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol abuse and stress contribute to high blood pressure.

 

What is surprising is that at the age of 71, I have a young man's heart that beats around 60 beats per minute in the day; and 8 breaths per minute.
less than 40 waking up and very rarely beyond 110 after having climbed the Doi Inthanon with my mtbike ...

 

My hygiene of life has only a very distant relation with that of almost all Thais.
I do not smoke, I do not drink alcohol, I only eat vegetable protein and of course I do a lot of cycling;
a lot is on average 15,000 km a year, more than half of which is on red dirt roads.
I lie down and get up with the chickens:
5:30 in the morning and around 20:30 / 21:00 in the evening.

 

Of course I do not spend a single second on Facebook, Line and company ...

Besides, I do not have a smartphone.

[sawadee1947]

8 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Excellent idea. 68/120  is ideal

Is that your wife's and your's weight in kgs? ????