On April 22, 2024, the National Coordination Team (NCT), the Protocols Committee and the Monitoring Committee of the Suriname HEARTS Initiative met with the Foundation for Post-Academic Education for Medicine in Suriname (SPAOGS) for an urgent meeting. The aim was to discuss and clarify some minor inconsistencies between the SPAOGS guidelines and the HEARTS HT protocol implemented by the Ministry of Health.
The Suriname HEARTS Initiative is an essential and structured approach to chronic conditions, with the focus on improving the treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in Suriname through standardized guidelines, training and monitoring.
After careful consideration, the following key decisions were made:
– The HEARTS protocol for hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Management (CVRM), issued in January 2024, will be the only national guideline.
– An addendum will be added to the HEARTS protocol to address a specific situation regarding grade 1 hypertension. In this situation, the treating physician may decide, based on experience and professional judgment, to initiate monotherapy or combination therapy as the first treatment step, with preference for monotherapy with a RAAS inhibitor.
– Follow-up consultations can be arranged in an interval of 2 to 4 weeks until good blood pressure control is achieved, after which the protocol is continued.
– The report of the meeting will serve as official documentation of the decisions taken and will be immediately distributed to all relevant stakeholders.
The Ministry of Health urgently urges all general practitioners to immediately and without delay offer their services to the community in accordance with this protocol. This includes sharing the necessary data to plan and prepare for the next phases of HEARTS Initiative implementation. The Suriname HEARTS team is ready to provide immediate support and training where necessary.
Tags: Public Health encourages general practitioners comply HEARTS protocol
