A TOTAL of 60 children with congenital heart problems are scheduled to undergo heart surgery at a medical camp to be held at Jakaya Kikwete Heart Institute (JKCI) in Dar es Salaam soon.

The eight-day major and minor heart surgery camp will be conducted by JKCI experts in collaboration with their colleagues from the Little Heart project of Muntada Aid Organization based in London.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday about the camp, head of division of heart diseases for children at JKCI Dr Sulende Kubhoja, said that during the camp, children will be examined and those found with problems that require surgery will undergo minor heart surgery through a small hole by using Cathlab machine as well as major heart surgery by opening the chest.

“We ask parents with children suffering from heart problems including holes, blood vessels and heart valves to bring them to JKCI for examination and treatment,” he said.

"We also ask doctors from all hospitals in the country to refer children with these problems to JKCI to get specialist medical services," said the paediatric cardiologist.

Dr Alex Joseph, heart surgeon at JKCI, said they expect to perform a major open chest surgery on 20 children.

“A patient undergoing major heart surgery needs a lot of blood; we are thankful that we have enough blood for the children undergoing surgery. We ask citizens to continue donating blood for our children undergoing heart surgery,” he said.

Dr Stella Mongella, a cardiologist for children at JKCI, said that in the camp 40 children will undergo minor heart surgery through a small hole by using Cathlab machine.

“Cathlab machine is a specialized laboratory that uses radiation to diagnose and treat heart; the treatment we provide is to seal holes in the heart as well as unblocked clogged blood vessels,” she said.

Kabir Miah, project manager at Muntada Aid Organization, said that the organization has many projects including health, education and water and it works in various countries whereas in Africa it works in 30 countries including Tanzania.

“This is the ninth time we have come to Tanzania to help children with heart problems and we have performed surgery on 475 children; we are happy to see that we have been able to save the lives of children who after recovery continue their lives like other children who were not born with heart problems,” he said.