Children awaiting heart surgery.

Tanuja Walli, founder of the Paediatric Support Group in Mombassa,  was sharing her frustration with me :  Nine children from the Coast area of Kenya died in the last couple of months while they were awaiting a slot to get heart surgery in Nairobi.

Why does that happen?

• First there are only two hospitals in Kenya – Mater Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital – that give special discounted rates for the underprivileged on pediatric surgeries.
• Not enough pediatric surgeons.
• Already a long waiting lists from all the children that come from other parts of Kenya.
• Not enough beds.
• Not enough pediatric surgeons.
• Many technical problems occur such as the catheterization lab breaking down. During the time it takes to repair, the condition of the children waiting for an urgent operation deteriorates to a point of no return.
• Not enough funding; many of the patients are too short of funds to be able to contribute towards the surgery.

” We need  more help from private hospitals like the Aga Kahn University Hospital which has the appropriate capabilities ” says Tanuja Walli.  In the meantime MEAK ( see previous post) – the UK charity that just completed a heart mission in February and is preparing another one for June- is the only charity helping out in the field in Kenya.  Without question the government needs to do more too.

One a very good note, one child was being flown to Leipzig, Germany, for heart surgery under the auspices of the Chain of Hope. The hard work never stops and Tanuja is continually trying to find treatment for these children.