THE UNION CLUB
Matters of the Heart
A Cardiovascular Health Education Story
Cognisci Information Systems and Technologies for Development Foundation
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ISBN : 978-1-291-52660-8
© 2013 Cognisci Information Systems and Technologies for Development Foundation
and Rotimi Ogunjobi
Editors:
Rotimi Ogunjobi
Omotayo Keyide.
When Dr. Vaughan arrived at the Union Club hall together with Dr. Smith, he was surprised at the number of people assembled there.
It was a bright and sunny Saturday morning, a day for playing golf, and other leisure activities - not for any serious function. Yet the club hall was almost full and still more people were arriving. The Union Club was the local social club. The members were mostly businessmen and women, company executives as well as assorted professionals and tradesmen. Dr. Vaughan had been invited to deliver a lecture. It was titled ‘Body Wise – Matters of the Heart’. The event was scheduled for 11.00 a.m. but it was still 10.45 a.m. when he arrived.
Dr. Vaughan was an expert on vascular health and he had many times been invited to give similar lectures, but the attendance had always been unimpressive. This was why the number of people assembled at this particular venue surprised him. Ordinarily, it appeared that few people wanted to be educated on how their internal organs worked, and would rather prefer that they conveniently remain out of anyone’s sight and mind.
‘Are you sure that we are in the right venue?’ Dr. Smith had asked, also obviously surprised.
‘I hope so,’ Vaughan answered him.
They were met by Mr. Foley, the Secretary of the Union Club, who welcomed them both warmly. Mr. Foley was a good natured gentleman, but a compulsive cigarette smoker.
‘Thank you for coming, doctor,’ he said. ‘The natives are getting restless.’
Vaughan introduced Dr. Smith.
‘Dr. Smith is a psychiatrist. You will soon find out why I brought him,’ he explained. ‘But how did you get so many of your members here today?’ he wanted to know. Foley laughed.
‘It is a long story. As you probably don’t know, we lost our former secretary two months ago. He had a heart attack. I was unfortunately the assistant at this time. So, here I am today - in a dead man’s shoes; and frankly, I am finding them too tight for my poor feet. The job is too exerting. I’d rather be just an ordinary member like almost everybody else. I want to just drink my beer, play poker and go home to my family.’
Foley finished his cigarette and immediately lit another one.
‘I never imagined there could be so much work for a club secretary to do. No wonder my predecessor had a coronary. So, when the club President suggested a health lecture for the club members, I was the happiest amongst the whole lot. That’s why I brought you here.’
‘I feel much honored,’ Vaughan replied. ‘Nevertheless, I congratulate you on being able to make so many of them to attend. Usually, very few people want to talk to a heart doctor. It must appear like a criminal being brought in front of a ruthless judge.
’‘It was no big deal,’ Foley said. ‘First, I reminded them how Mr. Chuckie, the previous Secretary, went. Then I made a promise to attend the funeral of anyone who missed this lecture. I think they are more afraid than interested in the lecture. Nevertheless, I’d say the end has justified the means.’
The hall was not big but at least two hundred people were seated inside, exchanging banter and small talks. It reminded Dr. Vaughan of a university lecture room. Foley rang a small bell and the crowd quieted and came to attention. Foley introduced the two visitors.
‘Dr. Vaughan is a cardiologist and a man very much after my heart,’ he said humorously. ‘And Dr. Smith is a psychiatrist who is going to save many of you from becoming unpaid comedians.’ The audience clapped and cheered.
‘And now, I will leave you all with Dr. Vaughan for a couple of hours or so; after which you will have absolute freedom to go out, ignore his advice, and enjoy your separate heart attacks. Never mind though, I will still attend your funerals.’
He was accompanied to his seat by some good natured booing. After Mr. Foley and Dr. Smith had taken their seats, Dr. Vaughan stood to face the assembled club members. He was at this moment anxious, as he always was under similar circumstances, not to bore the audience. He wanted them to remain friendly and attentive. In fact, he felt that it was his duty on this fine Saturday afternoon to obtain their attention.
‘My name is Vaughan. I don’t know why it is not spelt the way it is pronounced. Maybe some of you do. I am sure however that many of you don’t also know very much about most other things either, and that is why you are here.’ The hall quieted, but there were scattered pockets of laughter.
‘This is supposed to be a serious lecture. But I hate to have to lecture you like I am your school headmaster. I’m sure there are some of you who get paid more than ten times my salary. So let’s keep this function as informal as possible. Let’s be friends; okay?’
He was allowed a general, but suspicious assent.
‘How many of you have hypertension?’ There were some concerned faces but no useful response
. Dr. Vaughan wasn’t bothered though. He understood that very few people liked to advertise their weaknesses.
‘No one here has hypertension,’ he confirmed. ‘The reason that I have come here this afternoon is to advise you on staying alive, in good health. My task has been halved by this wonderful discovery that none of you is hypertensive. Nevertheless, it may be possible for a few of you to discover the symptoms after today. So I will go ahead and show you how to stay alive in spite of the disease.’
Dr. Vaughan was a small wiry man with a surprisingly strong and firm voice. He cleared his throat and continued.
‘High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the most common chronic cardiovascular disease in the world today.
Do you have high blood pressure? Unfortunately out of five persons with high blood pressure, three don’t know that they have it. So, even if you think, or are sure that you don’t have high blood pressure, what of the other members of your family - especially your children. When was the last time that you had their blood pressure checked? Or are you surprised that children too can develop high blood pressure? If you are to keep high blood pressure from developing, you should accept the responsibility for your own - and your family’s health. On the other hand, if you already have high blood pressure, you will also need to avoid the devastating complications that often accompany this disease.
‘It may be worth your life to pay great attention for the next few minutes. After you have learnt more about high blood pressure, you may need to change your family’s living and eating habits as a possible preventive or control measure. If you are told by a doctor that you already have high blood pressure, you will need to stick to treatment. It is not easy to prevent or control high blood pressure, but the efforts you make toward those goals have great potential a longer, healthier life for you and your children.
‘But first, what is blood pressure? Can anyone tell me what blood pressure is?’ he asked.