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Heart patients return from India
2008-05-08 10:04:25
By Correspondent Austin Beyadi
A total of 26 heart patients who left the country in March this year for India, where they underwent subsidized heart surgeries at Narayana Hrudayalaya Heart Institute in Bangalore, returned home on Tuesday.
Out of the group, 19 patients were from Zanzibar and the remaining ones came from Tanzania mainland.
Speaking during the arrival of the patients, Convener of Heart Surgery Project for Lions Club of Dar es Salaam (host) District 411B Lion Rajni Kanabar said the children had come back home with a new lease of life.
He said some of the children had undergone risky operations which local doctors refused to undertake, yet they had returned safely.
``The number of heart patients is quite high. Most of them cannot afford to pay for treatment. They end up dying,`` said Kanabar.
He said funds were collected from well wishers who donated to the Lions Club to save the lives of the underprivileged.
He said it was an achievement to see people going for life-saving surgeries and that his club was eager to see more lives being saved.
He said although the country did not have a heart centre of excellence at present, the club in collaboration with Regency Medical Centre was ready to offer the Lion’s concession heart surgery package offered to them by Narayana Hrudayalaya Heart Institute.
The doctor who escorted the patients, Ali Amour, said all the patients had undergone successful surgeries.
He said one patient passed away before undergoing any surgery after suffering from cerebral malaria and efforts to save his life had failed.
He thanked the people who donated to save the lives of the children, praying that God should give them plenty.
Among the people who sponsored the patients was the Chairman of the Rodney Mutie Mengi Foundation Reginald Mengi who sponsored three children from Zanzibar and two from mainland.
Seven patients from both mainland and Zanzibar were partly self sponsored and partly supported by anonymous sponsors. One patient was sponsored by World Vision in Arusha.
Another patient was sponsored by the Wanawake na Maendeleo foundation (Wama) through a donation by Mustafa Jaffar Sabodo.
For the past nine months, at least 150 patients have undergone heart surgery and 99 percent had returned home after undergoing successful operations.
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