A DREAM come true and a life changing moment for parents has occurred as their children have embarked on a life saving journey to Israel were they will undergo open heart surgery and stay for at least three months.
Eight children travelled yesterday, among them was a two month old baby who’s the youngest while the oldest is 14 years.
The children were until recently admitted at the Zambia’s National Heart Hospital before their trip to Israel for a permanent heart surgery with the help of an Israel based Humanitarian Organisation called Save a Child’s Heart.
Save a Child’s Heart is expected to provide life saving cardiac care to the children, in conjunction with Zambia’s Ministry of Health through the National Heart Hospital.
One of the mothers to the children, Margaret Mashimbila said her three years old son, Alex Chibumba was discovered with a hole in his heart and a large atrial septal defect (ASD) when he was only seven months old.
An atrial septal defect is a type of congenital heart defect that affects the heart’s upper chambers (atria).
It is characterised by a hole or opening in the septum, the wall that separates the right and left atria.
“And since the time we were transferred from UTH to this place, he has really improved from the time he was discovered till date and I am really grateful and thanking the government and the Ministry of Health for this opportunity for us to travel to Israel.”
“I know fully well that he is going to return home safely more than he is,” she said.
Mashimbila added that medical officers have assured her that her stay in Israel will not be more than three months depending on how quick the Child responds to treatment.
And Lusaka National Heart Hospital senior superintendent, Chabwela Shumba explained on the heart conditions that children mostly face.
“In Children, we deal with two peculiar conditions. One is Rheumatic Heart Disease were the heart valves are actually damaged because of the disease process. This disease is actually preventable but over time it becomes very costly and needs a lot of advanced technology and skill to treat it through open heart surgery.
“The other one is congenital heart disease which happens in about one percent of all life births in Zambia about 6,000 children are born with it,” said Shumba.
He also thanked the Save a Child’s Heart organisation for its positive contribution in the Zambian health sector through the training of the country’s first ever pediatric surgeon with many more still undergoing training.
Meanwhile, Honorary Consul State of Israel in Zambia, Sinya Mbale said two more surgical missions are planned for 2024 involving the cardiac institute team in Zambia with two already being done.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba June 10, 2024
