Over 200 Ugandans to receive heart surgeries in India

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Access to complex medical procedures like heart surgery in Uganda is a reserve for the wealthy. (Photo by Isaac Nuwagaba)

Therefore, for poor Ugandans, the thought of undergoing such a procedure seems almost impossible with Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) cardiologist Dr Isaac Ssinabulya saying such highly specialised surgeries need huge sums of money to execute.

“Rheumatic heart disease, hypertension or acute nephritis with heart failure, idiopathic cardiomegaly, endomyocardial fibrosis and syphilitic heart diseases require modern health equipment and specialists which Uganda lacks,” he says.

"Our facility is overwhelmed with patients who need heart surgeries every year but we refer many for specialised treatment abroad because we have limited space for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds, theatres, inadequate staffing and necessary equipment," Ssinabulya adds.

However, the Indian Association of Uganda is working to change this reality with a vision to provide high-quality healthcare at an affordable cost according to the association secretary, Kumar Sasi Nair.

“We are going to take 200 patients from Mulago National Hospital for heart surgeries in India and we shall start with the first lot of 50 patients early next year,” he said while speaking to journalists on Tuesday at the India High Commission at Kyadondo in Kampala.

Nair, who was speaking at the handover of a donation of drugs worth shillings 25 million to Bugiri Hospital, said they do not have the technology to treat the patients in Uganda.

“We decided to send them to India to receive free treatment because the selection was mostly done to help vulnerable Ugandans who could not afford over shillings 200 million for heart surgery in Uganda and abroad,” he said.

"The First lot of patients were selected to receive highly specialised heart surgeries in different hospitals in India after they were referred by Mulago National Referral Hospital for overseas treatment," association vice-chairperson Dipesh Dholu added.

Under the Heart Surgery Project, the Indian Association of Uganda sponsored heart patients at the age below 14 years for surgery at Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital Bangalore.

"Our members accompany the children with their guardians to Narayana Hospital and make sure of their comfortable stay in India and travel back with the children when they are fit to travel. The Indian Association of Uganda bears all costs from Kampala to Narayana Hrudayalaya and back home and ensures that each patient has enough medicines for the next two to three months post-surgery,” he clarified.

The Charge De Affairs at the India High Commission in Kampala, Jitender Singh Negi, said Indian hospitals have reduced costs of heart surgery due to economies of scale, cutting-edge technology and innovative practices where multiple patients are operated on simultaneously by different teams of doctors, he said.

“Despite the lower costs, the quality of care remains exceptionally high. Narayana Health hospitals boast state-of-the-art infrastructure, highly trained staff and international standards of hygiene and safety,” Negi added.

High Commissioner of India to Uganda Upender Sigh Rawat inaugurated a blood donation drive in conjunction with the Indian Association to commemorate the 77th Indian Independence and 101 Anniversary of the Indian Association in Uganda in August this year.

“The Indian Association of Uganda has reserved slots for 100 children with heart complications to undergo free surgery in India every year,” he assured.

Medical experts perform surgeries to repair or replace aortic separations and malfunctioning valves to correct unbalanced heartbeats such as atrial fibrillation to fix the genetic heart defects.

The blood donation drives which are ongoing in the country seek to address the challenge of blood shortage since August 15, 2023.

“We are working hard to collect over 35,000 units of blood to Nakasero Blood Bank as part of our corporate social responsibility to serve Ugandans with everlasting relationship,” Negi said.

Bugiri Hospital receives sh25m drugs from Indian Association of Uganda

According to Bugiri Hospital medical superintendent Dr Abubakri Nakendo, the drug donation will address the facility's drug shortage.

“As hospital management, we are delighted for support and the biggest catchment area of 50,000 people we serve from Namayingo, Bugweri, Iganga, Busia, Butaleja and Mayuge districts shall acknowledge your support not only to us but to the government of Uganda,” Nakendo believes.