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Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) has completed five closed heart surgeries during a surgical health camp at Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH), focusing on repairing congenital heart defects. This marks the fourth closed heart surgery camp conducted in various Regional Referral Hospitals across the country.
The children who benefited from the surgeries are from districts including Arua, Mbale, Mityana, Lira City, and the district. They underwent a procedure known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) repair, a surgery that closes a hole in the heart. If left untreated, PDA can lead to heart failure, recurrent respiratory infections, and potentially death.
Annually, an estimated 16,000 children in Uganda are born with heart defects, highlighting the critical need for increased access to specialized heart care. Without timely intervention, these conditions can have life-threatening consequences.
The heart surgery camp, which ran from Sunday, February 23 to Wednesday, February 26, provided much-needed relief and hope to parents and caregivers who typically would have to travel long distances to Kampala or even abroad for heart surgery. This journey often comes with significant financial and logistical challenges.
Mustafa Ali Mohammed, a resident of Sironko district, shared how his three-year-old granddaughter benefited from the surgery. After struggling to find care for his grandchild, Mustafa expressed his joy that the child is now feeling better and breathing well.
Another parent, Quinto Opio, whose child is recovering from the surgery, said his daughter is now able to eat and feel satisfied, unlike in the past when she struggled to breathe and spent much of her time in and out of the hospital.
Dr. Jane Aceng Ocero, the Minister of Health and Lira City Woman MP, underscored the importance of such interventions, noting the high burden of heart disease.
“The Ministry of Health remains committed to equipping regional referral hospitals, strengthening healthcare capacity, and expanding outreach programs like this to alleviate the burden of heart disease and other NCDs across the country,” she said.
She added, “With increased investment in personnel, diagnostic tools, and medical infrastructure, we can enhance screening capabilities, identify more patients in need, and ultimately extend life-saving cardiac care to an even wider population in the future.”
The Health Minister called on everyone to adopt better health-seeking behaviors, as many of these diseases are preventable.
“I encourage all stakeholders to build upon the success of this mission because, with the right commitment, resources, and collaboration, we can make significant strides in reducing its impact in Uganda.” Dr. Peter Solomon Lwabi, the Deputy Executive Director of UHI, emphasized the need to decentralize heart care across Uganda. This is why UHI is moving from one regional referral hospital to the next.
He further explained, “As UHI, it is our mandate to decentralize heart care and ensure that all Ugandans, regardless of their geographical location, have access to high-quality health services.
By bringing the services closer to the people, we reduce the financial, social, and logistical burdens on families.” A total of eight patients were screened for the surgery, but only five were operated on.
Dr. Lwabi explained that the remaining three patients could not be treated at LRRH due to the severity of their conditions.
Dr. Andrew Odur, the Director of LRRH, advocated for the need to employ more specialists at the hospital to improve services.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 74 percent of global deaths, with cardiovascular disease responsible for 33 percent of deaths. Of these, 80 percent occur in low- and middle-income countries, including Uganda.
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