Successful open-heart surgeries in Zimbabwe

Zim Now Writer

A glimmer of hope has emerged for children with congenital heart conditions in Zimbabwe, as a recent medical camp at Parirenyatwa Hospital successfully performed open-heart surgeries on 10 young patients.

The week-long medical camp, a collaborative effort between Egyptian and local cardiac specialists, Gift of Life International, Rotarians, Harare Central, the government, National Oil and Infrastructure Company (NOIC), Avenues Clinic, Simbisa Brands, and other well-wishers, brought much-needed relief to families facing the devastating impact of these heart conditions.

Dr Hisham Shawky, an open-heart surgeon involved in the procedures, expressed optimism about the future. “We have done 10 cases; some were simple and straightforward, and others were really tough, but all of them went well. We have planned to start a sustainable program, which we will be going on in the next few years,” he said.

Parents of the children who underwent surgery expressed immense gratitude for the life-saving intervention. Taflos Madondo, whose two-year-old child was born with a heart condition, shared, “We are very pleased and grateful because of the assistance that we have received. We did not know where we were going to get the money to go for the treatment out of the country.”

Maud Muvanga, whose daughter had been struggling with a heart condition for six years, echoed these sentiments. “I am very happy and grateful for what these doctors have done for my child. I had lost hope, but now it is different,” she said.