Action “With care of the women’s heart of Belarus”: about 3 thousand women were examined in Minsk for 4 years

From September 7 to September 11, 2026, a large-scale information and prevention campaign “With Care for the Women’s Heart of Belarus” is being successfully implemented for the fourth year. During this time, the specialists of the Minsk City Health Center and the Republican Scientific and Practical Center "Cardiology" visited a number of labor collectives and conducted a comprehensive examination of almost 3,000 women. This was told to the correspondent of the agency “Minsk-Novosti” by the head of the City Health Center Snezhan Kavrigo.

She recalled that the initiator of this action was the Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, authorized representative of the Head of State in Minsk Natalia Kochanova. The main goal of the initiative is to care for the health of women as the basis for the preservation of future generations and demographic security of the country.

The next stage of the medical project was held on September 7 for employees of OJSC Kamvol. First, employees of the enterprise received information booklets and health memos, were surveyed to identify individual risk factors for cardiovascular and other non-communicable diseases. Then they measured blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation index, made an electrocardiogram. Each participant was able to obtain a health certificate with personal results. In addition, the specialists of the health center gave individual recommendations for the prevention of various ailments and the management of healthy lifestyles.

The final stage was an individual appointment with cardiologists. By the way, for the convenience of Minsk women, the organizers provided a simplified format. If a woman has recently been examined in a clinic, she could take the results of medical research with her from home and immediately receive a detailed consultation with a doctor on the spot.

According to S. Kavrigo, during the surveys of Minsk women, specialists regularly identify various risk factors for cardiovascular pathologies. The leading position among them is tobacco smoking. She stressed that in the structure of the population of Minsk and the republic as a whole, the number of women prevails. The number of smokers among them remains high. The head of the health center paid special attention: if there are already cardiovascular pathologies in the family history (heredity), smoking becomes a deadly factor for a woman. In addition, the specialist noted, the state of the vessels of residents of the metropolis is destructively affected by chronic stress.

Also, the doctor added: without a healthy heart and strong vessels, it is almost impossible to bear and give birth to a healthy child, because the vascular system permeates the entire body and is responsible for the blood supply to all organs, including the brain.

By the way, the preventive trip to Kamvol OJSC was timed to the Year of the Belarusian woman, and the Belarusian Women’s Union co-organized the large-scale event.

As the head of the department of preventive cardiology of the RSPC "Cardiology", Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor Natalia Shibeko, told, such visits to Minsk enterprises have become a regular practice for specialists. Previously, similar medical examinations and lectures were organized at the Milavitsa, Galantey factories, the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus and the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange.

- The main purpose of such actions is to convey to people the importance of primary prevention, Shibeko noted. It is necessary to start taking care of health not when the disease has already developed, but at the stage of the appearance of the first risk factors. These include excess body weight, physical inactivity, increased blood sugar or blood pressure. Being healthy should become a good and fashionable habit.

The specialist noted that, despite the active introduction of high technologies in domestic medicine, mortality from diseases of the circulatory system (BCS) remains at a high level. That is why public health care places special emphasis on preventive cardiology.

- In such actions, in addition to primary prevention, doctors conduct secondary: they advise workers who have already suffered serious vascular disasters (heart attacks or strokes), adjusting their current treatment, Shibeko continued.

Recall that the main goal of such actions is to make highly qualified medical care as affordable and prompt as possible.

Lyudmila Kuznetsova, head of the Kamvol dormitory, shared her impressions from the organization of the action:

- I am very glad that such an event was organized for us. Health issues are important for everyone. For example, I have certain heart problems. Everyone knows that getting an appointment with a cardiologist can be difficult - I personally waited for a consultation for about six months. Everything is organized in the most accessible form.

L. Kuznetsova prepared thoroughly for the reception of a specialist: she brought with her the results of an ultrasound examination of the heart, the readings of daily ECG monitoring (holter) and all the necessary tests. Professionalism and sensitivity of doctors exceeded all expectations of women.

“Doctors are literally angels in white coats, I was completely delighted,” she said. The doctor spoke to me in a clear, accessible language. I was told everything in detail, explained every detail, so now I understand my health. You walk out of the room feeling almost healthy. A low bow to both doctors and the management of our enterprise for organizing such a necessary and useful event.

Quality engineer of JSC Kamvol Irina Boyko added:

- I am very glad that such events are organized in our company. I didn’t participate in them before – there was no need. And now it is very good: you do not need to go to the city cardiology center. You can go to the doctor for a consultation directly from work. It is very convenient, and a big thank you to the management for such care for the team.

According to the employee of the enterprise, the team was notified of the visit of doctors in advance through the paramedic of the local medical center. This allowed everyone to plan the time and make an appointment.

- I had some minor health questions. I decided to ask them to specialists, said I. Boyko. There were no medical documents with me, but everything was organized at the highest level. I filled out a questionnaire and immediately received a cardiogram. With these results went to the doctor. Additional tests I previously passed in the clinic, but for the initial consultation there was enough promptly done ECG.

The practice of conducting on-site medical examinations and health days at large industrial enterprises of the capital has proved its effectiveness and will continue.

Photo by Elizaveta Davidovskaya