By Rukudzo Gota and Kuda Pembere
The high cost of open heart surgeries for children has long placed a heavy burden on Zimbabwean families. However, local collaboration on these procedures is now easing the pressure on parents and guardians who would otherwise be expected to fork out between US$15 000to US$20 000 for treatment in countries like India, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Hon. Sleiman Kwidini, has said.
Kwidini said this while addressing journalists during a medical camp at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where a team of Egyptian and Zimbabwean surgeons was operating on 10 children with congenital heart defects.
“First and foremost, I want to appreciate and commend our local and Egyptian surgeons for what they are doing here in Zimbabwe. This is a major breakthrough for our healthcare system. Previously, we were not conducting these types of open-heart surgeries locally. Now, we have reached a milestone. All these major operations that we are witnessing are now being done in our own hospitals,” he said.
“We’ve spoken to mothers in the wards who said they had been quoted between US$15 000 and US$20 000 to take their children to India for surgery. Now, as we have seen, these procedures are being done here at no cost, and Zimbabwe is making progress.”
Kwidini added that with more specialists being trained in open heart surgery, the government aims to decentralize these services to other central hospitals across the country.
“We started here at Parirenyatwa, but we expect to extend these services to other provinces and hospitals such as Mpilo and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), where patients can access specialized treatment. Many of the children we are treating suffer from congenital heart defects and require this kind of care. Our goal is to make these services available to more families across Zimbabwe.”
Egyptian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms. Salwa Mowafi, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting Zimbabwe’s health sector.
“The Egyptian government is fully committed to helping countries across Africa, including our sister nation Zimbabwe. We are pleased to understand the country’s medical needs and are ready to share our experiences and offer training,” she said.
“We brought with us a highly skilled team from Egypt, led by Professor Hisham Shawky, and we are ready to send more teams in the future to share expertise across various specialties. Egyptian medical supplies are already available in Zimbabwe’s public hospitals, and we will continue to support the people of Zimbabwe in transforming their lives.”
Professor Shawky said this visit involved more complex cases and younger children compared to the initial camp.
“Pediatric cardiac surgery is a long-term program. During our first visit in November, we handled simpler cases. Now, eight months later, we are treating more complicated conditions in much younger patients,” he said. He also noted that the issue of medical supplies still needs to be addressed to ensure sustainability.
Dr. Simukayi Machawira, who heads the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at Parirenyatwa, confirmed that the surgeries had been successful.
“We have completed nine surgeries so far, and we are about to begin the 10th. All nine patients have been successfully extubated. They are breathing on their own, talking, and communicating with staff and family. I’m happy to report that the outcomes have been very positive,” he said.
One mother, whose child underwent surgery, expressed deep gratitude.
“My child was diagnosed with a heart problem, ASD and VSD. One of her valves was smaller than the other, and it wasn’t pumping oxygen properly. She also had a hole in her heart that was growing instead of closing. After multiple scans, doctors said the operation could only be done outside the country and the cost was US$15 000,” she said.
“It was a very stressful time. We kept visiting the cardiac clinic regularly. Then, just recently in July, our doctor told us that a team of specialists was coming to Zimbabwe. I prayed my child would be chosen. When I got the call to come to the hospital, I couldn’t believe it. After screening, they confirmed my daughter needed surgery.”
“They explained the procedure to me, and at first I was scared, but after talking to the doctors more, I felt reassured. Today, I am so grateful. My child is alive and will now be able to live a normal life like other children. I don’t have the words to fully express my gratitude to the doctors. I never expected this miracle to happen, and I knew I would never have raised the money for surgery abroad. I am overwhelmed with joy,” said the mother.
Zimbabwe resumed adult open heart surgeries in June 2023, with pediatric procedures recommencing in November the following year.
