Wellbeing Corner

Healthy Heart Checks at MITS

Last week, we had the heart team from Monash Hospital come and check all our new students’ hearts. Each student had an ECG (to check their heart’s electricity) and an Echocardiogram (an ultrasound of their heart) to look at their heart health and see if they needed any support to help keep their heart healthy and strong. 

The heart doctors were mostly searching for any signs of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). RHD is a condition that almost exclusively impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and is entirely preventable and treatable if caught early enough. 

Dr Ari and his team also came to school to give us some information about RHD and how we can help prevent it. We were told about the importance of going to the clinic any time we have sore throats, skin sores, sore joints or a fever. We were also reminded of other things that can keep our hearts healthy and strong – like exercise, and healthy diet. 

RHD can happen when bugs get into our bodies through throat or skin infections, and start to attack the heart. If caught early, we can treat RHD through a series of injections of penicillin to help the heart to fight the infection. A number of our students get this injection every month – we’re so proud of their courage! 

Thanks so much to Dr Ari and the heart team – we look forward to welcoming you all back to MITS next year for these important checks.

By Emma Puddy