A healthy heart? Just call it Bruce

Fitting then, that Portland District health’s newest machine to gather the data for that protocol was paid for in part thanks to a donation from Sportspower shop owner Bruce Elijah.
Called a stress tester, the machine strongly resembles the sort of powered exercise treadmills that Mr Elijah sells at his Bentinck St business.  But this is an AFL allstar compared to a bush footy reserve. It’s vastly more complex, and staggeringly more expensive.

“We use this machine to assess patients for blockages or other cardiac problems,” Nurse Unit Manager Natalie Herberton said.

“We can get their heart rate up and then the computer is attached to identifies any potential problems.”

The machine could well be a lifesaver, according to consultant physician Dr Anatoli Sobtchouk.
“It reveals when a patient needs urgent attention,” Dr Sobtchouk said.

“If that happens, the patient is transported to Geelong immediately for an angiogram to look inside the heart.

Having that kind of knowledge can save lives.”

He said patients who have already had a heart attack could use the stress tester to assess the likelihood of having another one.
Typically, a patient walks rapidly on the machine for about 10 minutes. By then, the computer has gathered more than enough information on possible blockages, constrictions or other heart and circulatory issues.

Mr Elijah said the money he donated to help the hospital pay for the new tester came from his winnings in a Portland
Observer AFL Grand Final tipping competition.
“I picked Geelong by 31 and that was close enough,” he said.

“I chose the hospital for the donation because it’s used by so many people in Portland, and I’ve had two visits here which have been very positive.
“Also, I remember 18 years ago when my cousin had a baby here, the child was very weak and there was a chance he might not survive.  But the staff here did a wonderful job of taking care of that baby, and the other day he turned 18, a big, strong, healthy lad.”

STORY BY Steve Robertson, PICTURE BY Kirsty Hill - PORTLAND OBSERVER