Three days of rescuing lives at JKCI

BERNARD LUGONGO

PAEDIATRIC Cardiologist Dr AvikaTamir from Israel-based charity organisation, Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), diagnoses a three-year child, Nuraisha Iddi, during lifesaving catheterizations and clinic camp for children with heart disease at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) in Dar es Salaam, yesterday. (Photo by IddyMwema)

TWENTY children suffering from heart complications have undergone successful surgeries, catheterizations, during the past three days at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI).

During their assignment, the experts will also screen 100 children at the screening camp established at JKCI premises from November 23 through 27. Out of the 100 children, SACH will send about 60 children diagnosed with the disease to Israel.

Executive Director of the SACH, Mr Simon Fisher, said since 1999, the organisation has treated over 600 children from Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. Through the operations, the Dar es Salaam based institute has saved over 500m/- that the country could have spent in similar treatment abroad.

70% Of patients undergoing surgeries at the JKCI are children. Through the operations, the Dar es Salaam-based institute has saved over 500m/- that the country could have spent in similar treatment abroad.

JKCI surgeons, in collaboration with their Israel-based Save a Child Heart (SACH) counterparts, conducted the surgeries. SACH team is on medical mission to perform lifesaving catheterizations in the country.

During their assignment, the experts will also screen 100 children at the screening camp established at JKCI premises from November 23 through 27. JKCI Director of Cardiology Peter Kisenge said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that out of the 100 children, SACH will send about 60 children diagnosed with the disease to Israel.

“I call upon parents to bring their children for screening because many kids are born with these complications,” Dr Kisenge said, noting that so far their partnership with SACH has benefited 40 children in the past two years.

According to him, 70 per cent of patients undergoing surgeries at the JKCI are children. Executive Director of the SACH, Mr Simon Fisher, said since 1999, the organisation has treated over 600 children from Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

Over the past three years, SACH has conducted nearly ten medical missions to Tanzania, providing lifesaving paediatric cardiac care to dozens of Tanzanian children suffering from heart disease.

In November last year, the first Israel-German joint medical mission travelled to JKCI. The German team from the Deutsches Herzzentrum Heart Centre in Berlin and the Israel team from Wolfson Medical Centre, in collaboration with the Tanzanian partners, performed lifesaving catheterizations on 14 patients and diagnosed 60 children with heart disease.