Patients suffering from heart disease are having to visit private practices for essential stress tests following an equipment failure at Kind Edward VII Memorial Hospital.The hospital’s only stress test machine has been out of action for two weeks and cannot be repaired until replacement parts are shipped in from overseas.And the breakdown means that more than 50 patients are now waiting to undergo stress tests — “a critical test in the diagnosis and management of coronary heart disease”.A Bermuda Hospitals Board spokeswoman said that, typically, around 30 patients a week need to take the test, and urgent cases are now being asked to be tested at private clinics.BHB is working with external providers so that the patients on our list can be tested,” the spokeswoman said.“This is being prioritised on a case-by-case basis to ensure the most pressing cases are addressed first. Urgent patients are being advised to contact the private practices for an appointment. At this time, 55 patients are waiting to be tested.”Exercise stress testing is used to help diagnose coronary heart disease caused by cholesterol plaque deposits in the arteries supplying blood to the heart and also to assess a patient’s response to 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,” a spokeswoman said.“We are waiting for an ordered part to arrive, after which we expect to be able to run the machine again. We have also decided to procure a new treadmill, as we believe this will minimise future interruptions to our service.“It is an inconvenience to patients who are waiting, but we expect to have our equipment operational in the near future.”