Rodney Muttie Mengi Foundation Chairman and IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi (5th-R), members of Lions Club of Dar es Salaam (Host) and children with heart problems.

A total of 21 heart patients, who went to India for heart surgery, have returned home in good health. When they arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport on Saturday, they were received by leaders of Lions Club Dar es Salaam (Host) and IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi.

Speaking on the occasion of receiving them, Dr Mengi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Lions Club leaders Shiraz Rashid and Regency Hospital Chairman Dr Rajni Kanabar for spending their time to coordinate the trip for the patients.

He said most of the time people thought that assistance must be in form of money, but people were dedicating their time like the Lions Club leaders, who had been supporting the patients.

“I recently said that we Christians believe that all the wealth we have belongs to God and I said I will never be bankrupt by helping others but people have misinterpreted me and thought I said it because I am proud of what I have. The truth is that, if you believe the wealth you have belongs to God then you are poor and no poor person can be bankrupt for he or she owns nothing because everything belongs to God,” Dr Mengi said.

He noted that if a person wanted to take either his farm or a house he would not fear because he believed they all belonged to God. “I call upon Tanzanians not to fear to help others because nobody will be bankrupt for helping others. We should remember that all that we have is God’s wealth,” Dr Mengi insisted.

Dar es Salaam Lions Club coordinator for heart diseases Dr Rajni Kanabar commended the Rodney Mutie Mengi Foundation through the IPP boss for generously sponsoring patients to India for treatment.

Dr Kanabar said there was successful heart surgery of a seven-month old baby, Sinani Maliha Makame (4kgs), who had already become playful and started gaining weight. The baby had an atrial septal defect. A two-year old child, Saima, had also a successful surgery without undergoing an open heart surgery.

The most critical case with severe cardiac failure was of a girl, Rizki (18), with rheumatic heart disease, who underwent mitral valve replacement and a tricuspid valve repair. There was a successful open heart surgery of heart (atrial septal defect) of Shafii Hamza (21).

“We are very grateful to the entire cardiac team of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute for giving us a subsidised rate of US$2,000 for one open heart surgery for Tanzanian children, which normally cost US$4,500 for Indian citizens,” Dr Kanabar said.

He expressed his gratitude for the following: the Zanzibar Ministry of Health for sponsoring six heart patients and their escorts along with escorting, IPP Chairman Dr Mengi and Rodney Muttie Mengi Foundation for generously donating US$20,000 for 10 open heart surgeries out of his pledge of 50 heart surgeries to celebrate Tanzania’s 50th independence anniversary, the Regency Medical Centre for contributing one air ticket fare and free screening of the children and the Indian High Commission for contributing free visas to the entire group through a kind courtesy of Kocheril Bhagirath.