Saving Hearts in the Caribbean

"Fifty percent of people having heart attacks die within 24 hours without the proper medical treatment. Even if you are rich enough to own a plane, it may be too late," says Nigerian cardiologist Earnest Madu, CEO of the Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC), which is proving that it's possible to provide high-quality health care in a developing country like Jamaica. The hospital maintains a policy of not turning away anyone who needs help. "We charge only what they can afford to pay," says Madu. It's their hope that the hospital will become a model that spawns similar facilities throughout the global South. This is a hugely ambitious goal. But when shaking hands with Madu, a powerfully built man with an even more powerful presence, you sense he possesses the charisma, determination and first-hand experience to make it happen.

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