Cardiac checks get approval from Liberals and Labor



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On the matter of the heart, the federal government and the Labor Party are fighting at the same pace, promising every million dollars, to fund vital health checks.

An Australian dies of cardiovascular disease every 12 minutes. An Australian suffers a heart attack or stroke every five minutes.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten equaled the $ 170 million over five years devoted to general practice in Melbourne, just hours after a Liberal counterpart announced the same plan.

"Heart disease is the silent killer of Australia," Shorten told reporters Sunday.

"My father died prematurely at the age of 70 from a catastrophic heart attack, and we will make sure that funding is available so that anyone who wants to have a cardiac checkup can do it. make.

"It is good that the government has accepted this proposal as well."

Checks will be available via Medicare from April.

Health Minister Greg Hunt told Nine's Weekend Today that it would mean "a better chance for people to undergo proper testing with their doctor".

"They can see if there are problems with their lifestyle or if there are other things to be done," he said.

The National Heart Foundation's general manager, Garry Jennings AO, said that it was an important announcement, not what people will see instead what they will not see. not as a result.

"You will not see people who seem to live a happy life and who suddenly die from coronary heart disease or a heart attack," he said Sunday, pointing out that about four million Australians suffering from heart disease could have avoided the disease if they had been controlled.

WADA President Tony Bartone also welcomed the commitments.

"Support for comprehensive health checks to combat cardiovascular disease is a recognition of the importance of general practice for preventative health care," said Dr. Bartone, adding that he was waiting with impatience for other promises before the federal election.

The government has also pledged $ 35 million to develop a vaccine for rheumatic heart disease, a deadly disease that largely affects Aboriginal communities.

The money from the Medical Research Fund will be used to make and test vaccines, as well as to fund and fund clinical trials quickly, said Ken Wyatt, Minister of Aboriginal Health, and Hunt.

"Today's day is a milestone.The end of rheumatic heart disease is an essential and tangible target for bridging the gap in life expectancy of indigenous people," he said. Mr. Wyatt.

Australia has one of the highest DOD levels in the world and Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders are 64 times more likely to develop it, a statement said.

The disease is a complication of bacterial infections of streptococcus A of the throat and skin.

Australian Associated Press

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