A cardiac specialist surgeon from the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka has said that about one thousand people are on the waiting list for heart operations in the country.
Dr. Alexander Nikichaev disclosed this to ZANIS in an interview in Ndola when a team of cardiac specialists visited Arthur Davison Children’s hospital to identify critical cardiac cases for onward operations to UTH.
Dr. Nikichaev noted that there is an increase in the number of cardiac patients which requires treatment outside Zambia but that the cardiac clinic at the hospital is working on the cases.
The cardiac specialist said heart surgeries in South Africa cost about 50 000 United States dollars while in India it is about half the fee at 25 000 per patient.
He however explained that in Zambia through the Ministry of Health cardiac operations are being done at UTH for free.
And Senior Medical Superintendent Sam Phiri said a number of children and adults in the Northern region of Zambia required heart operations.
Dr. Phiri further stated that this was the reason why a team of cardiac specialist surgeons from UTH visited the children’s hospital in Ndola to check on patients that need to undergo heart operations.
Dr. Phiri noted that for a long time in Zambia patients with heart problems were being sent outside the country for treatment but that for the past six months the country has been able to provide heart surgeries at UTH.
lets hope the old proverb “you get what you pay for” doesn’t hold true in this case!
WHy are there so much cases of heart problems, especially in the northern region as reported in the article above? Has the ministry thought about conducting research to find out what is the cause of the issue as this is alarming especially it being attributed to a certain region. According to the information provided, there must be something that can be done to curb this situation and bring it under control. My suggestion is carrying out a research in the northern region where the cases are more common.