The first ever open-heart surgery in Malawi has been conducted at the Blantyre Adventist Hospital.
Over 20 surgeons from the United States of America and Kenya who are currently in the country for a Cardiology Camp under Hearts for Mission International have performed the two first ever open-heart surgeries.
Today, Deputy Minister of Health Halima Daud visited the camp to cheer the patients and appreciate the services being offered.
In her speech, Daud said the surgeries and procedures will save the Government over one hundred million Malawi kwacha (MK100 Million) in costs for patients if they were to be referred to hospitals abroad for treatment.
She expressed hope that this is the beginning of a long- term partnership and collaboration that will see Malawi increasing its own capacity to treat heart diseases.
“The visit by this cardiac team is crucial for us. They bring with them knowledge, expertise, and experience that we can learn from and use to better our healthcare system. By the end of the camp on the 10th November, 2023 a number of heart procedures and surgeries will have been conducted, including pacemaker insertions, balloon valvuloplasty (a procedure to widen the heart valves) and other open-heart surgeries,” said Daud.
She added that the Government of Malawi recognizes the need to develop specialist cardiology services in the country as a priority. According to Daud, government has allocated funds to train one cardiology and one cardiothoracic surgeon.
