Fatimah (in red) watching as a doctor conducts a health check on a Special Olympics athlete.
A CHECK on 360 Special Olympics (SO) athletes throughout Sarawak revealed that 20% of them have pre-hypertension symptoms.
The health screening called Healthy Athletes Programme (HAP) held at SJK (C) Thien Hua, Sibujaya, also involved 106 coaches.
They were there for the sixth SO State Games 2022.
The events contested were swimming, track and field, football, bocce, badminton and table tennis.
Speaking to reporters, Sarawak Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said one of the athletes even had a systolic blood pressure reading of 160.
“About 20% of the SO athletes undergoing health screening this morning were found to have hypertension.
“They are young but are showing signs of high blood pressure.
“This health screening helps to alert parents whose children have hypertension, to bring them to the clinic,” she said.
Fatimah, who is also SO Sarawak chairman, said some of the athletes were found to have BMI (body mass index) issues that could lead to hypertension.
“We have nutritionists to advise them on healthy eating habits such as avoiding food with high sugar and salt content, including those that are too oily,” she added.
HAP also educated athletes on healthy lifestyle choices and identified problems that might need additional follow-up.
The HAP programme in Sibu involved 110 health and general volunteers, including specialists, dentists, therapists, nurses, optometrists and audiologists.
