Hospital patients now have use of a $25,000 treadmill thanks to funds donated by the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda (HAB).

The new piece of equipment is used for stress testing cardiac patients.

Some 25 to 30 people undergo the tests each week.

Manager of Diagnostic Imaging, Ms Renee Butterfield, said: “We are very grateful to the HAB’s donation. Our previous treadmill was no longer functioning well, despite repairs.

“This is a very important piece of equipment for cardiac patients. We are very pleased that the new equipment has improved performance, with more reliable software and the ability to connect to digital imaging systems at the hospital. “We have also entered into a new service contract with the vendor in order to proactively maintain the equipment and ensure a consistent service through the years ahead.”

President of the HAB, Mrs Ann Marie Pailing, added: “We are very pleased to donate funds towards equipment that has a direct impact on improving the diagnosis and care of cardiac disease patients in Bermuda.

“Being able to support the hospital in its drive to improve quality care is the reason we continue to run The Barn, The Pink Café and the Gift Shop.

“I would like to thank our volunteers who donate their time, as well as our members and the people who visit our establishments — all of whom make this donation possible.”

Exercise stress testing involves monitoring a patient’s heart while he or she uses a treadmill.

The test is used to help diagnose heart disease caused by cholesterol plaque deposits in the arteries supplying blood to the heart, called coronary heart disease. This test is also used to assess how a patient with known coronary heart disease is doing with current treatment.

Along with an ECG machine, a treadmill exercise stress testing machine is one of the cardiologist’s most powerful tools in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary heart disease.