THE need to develop support groups for heart patients was highlighted yesterday by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gleneagles JPMC, Lee Cheow Seng, at a Hari Raya celebration organised by patients of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Gleneagles JPMC.

The Gleneagles JPMC CEO said that support groups for patients is important for those who had undergone Percutanueous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) procedures as well as for patients who had yet to have their procedures done.

The support groups will be able to share their experiences and also play a supportive role to patients undergoing open heart surgeries as well as those who had been found to have heart problems.

One of the objectives of such support groups is to share with patients the group members' own experiences and to encourage them to consider the benefits of following the doctors' advices, he added.

According to Lee, the benefits of such groups is to provide support to patients and further help counsel family members to accept the patients' medical condition.

Lee also took the opportunity to urge those present to consider volunteering and partnering with Gleneagles JPMC to set up these support groups. He pointed out that to be in a support group, one must have the desire to help others who have the same medical problems to overcome their fear, concerns and outlook.

Those interested in volunteering can contact the heart centre's public relations manager.

Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Pahlawan Col (Rtd) Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Rahmani Dato Paduka Hj Basir, the chairman of the organising committee for the celebration, said that the main aim for the event, a brainchild of one of the members of the cardiac rehabilitation, was to convey their gratitude to doctors and staff of Gleneagles JPMC for their treatment and care to patients.

The chairman also said that heart and coronary diseases are one of the main causes of death in the country.

To this end, he urged the public to be more aware of the importance of taking care of their heart by undergoing early medical examinations and advised them not to wait until they are in pain or when it is too late for treatment.

In conclusion to his speech, Pehin Dato Paduka Hj Basir said that the country is fortunate to have its own heart centre which provides cardiac and cardiothoracic services comparable to those overseas.

Present at the celebration yesterday were members of the cardiac rehabilitation programme and families and staff of Gleneagles JPMC.

The celebration was packed with entertainment from both members of the cardiac rehabilitation and staff of the heart centre.