UK Islamic NGO support Muhimbili Cardiac equipment worth 300,000USD

By Aminiel Aligaesha

The Muntada Aid which is an Islamic NGO based in UK has supported medical equipment to Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) worth over 300,000 USD to save lives of children with congenital heart diseases. Speaking to the press in Dar es Salaam, the Acting Executive Director of MNH Dr. Hussein Kidanto said the equipment donated includes stents and other surgical devices.

He said with stent children with congenital heart diseases have undergone high tech procedures of unclogging and dilating blood vessels without opening the chest whilst with devices the same procedure has been applied to new born with defects (holes) hearts.

“Muntada Aid apart from supporting the equipment, it also sent a mission with 29 different experts to mention few; interventional pediatric cardiologists, perfusionists, anaethiologist, nurses, ICU physician to join efforts with our local experts to perform the said procedures” said Dr. Kidanto.

He said the mission who arrived in Tanzania in May 8th and left on 16th, 2015 managed to perform 23 open heart surgeries and 41 devices pediatric procedures, which has significantly helped the nation to save over 290,000 USD, would have incurred if they were to be sent abroad.

“I appreciate for this support from Muntada Aid and will be happy to extend this collaboration with Muhimbili National Hospital hence to increase a number of beneficiaries under this program,” said Dr. Kidanto.

He said the world estimates that congenital heart disease stands at 8 per 1000 live births whereby in Tanzania with approximate 46 million population and 1.7 million annual birth rate (2014), it is estimated that 13,600 babies were born with congenital heart disease in Tanzania and approximate 25% of them will need some form of intervention within the first year of diagnosis. And indeed some were operated in the current mission with the aid of Muntada.

From left, the fifth one is the Minister for Health and Social Welfare in Tanzania Dr. Seif Rashid in a posing picture in one of the ICU at MNH with the a team of cardiologist and surgeons from Prince Sultan Cardiac Centre in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saud Arabia. The first one on right side is Dr. Hussein Kidanto the Acting Executive Director of MNH. This mission was proudly sponsored by Muntada Aid.