Cardiac Surgery Plans a Mission to Rwanda
In April, cardiac surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, perfusionists and others are bound for Rwanda to begin a seven- to 10-year volunteer mission to establish a cardiac surgery program at King Faisal Hospital in the capital city of Kigali.
“The need for heart surgery in Rwanda is tremendous,” said R. Morton “Chip” Bolman, III, chief of Cardiac Surgery, one of the leaders of BWH’s Team Heart.
During the inaugural visit in April, the team will perform surgery and follow-up care on seven to 14 patients, most of whom are slowly suffocating from rheumatic heart disease due to untreated streptococcal infections. Heart disease in sub-Saharan Africa is a consequence of a generation of health care neglect. Rwanda, a country with approximately 400 physicians and 4,000 nurses to care for its population of 9.9 million, lacks the resources to deliver chronic interventions, such as penicillin, and to perform the life-saving operations to help the most critical patients.
“Our ultimate goal is to establish in Rwanda a self-sustaining heart surgery program run by Rwandan surgeons, nurses and others,” Bolman said.
To do so, Team Heart will work closely with Partners In Health, King Faisal Hospital and the Rwandan Ministry of Health to establish a cardiac surgery program and help prevent rheumatic heart disease with education and antibiotics.
“We are excited to begin this long-term relationship,” said Leslie Sabatino, BSN, RN, of Tower 8CD, clinical coordinator of Team Heart. “It will be incredibly rewarding to help Rwanda set up a program that will benefit countless people in the years to come.
For more information, visit www.brighamandwomens.org/cardiacsurgery/rwanda.aspx