American doctors to train, do major heart surgeries

Oct 29, 2013

A team of surgeons from United States of America is in the country to carry out major heart surgeries and train Ugandan surgeons.


By Violet Nabatanzi & Titus Kakembo

A team of surgeons from United States of America is in the country to carry out major heart surgeries and train Ugandan surgeons.

The seventeen-member medical team from Riley Children’s Hospital is led by Dr. Mark Turrentine. The team has so far carried out cardiac surgery and catheterization for about 20 children with heart defects.

The team is training about 35-40 physicians and hospital staff at Uganda heart Institute. The vocational training team (VTT) will be here up to November 3.

Health minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda asked the visiting team to support Ugandan surgeons to build capacity so that they are able to do the operations themselves.

“We want to make Mulago the center of excellence not only in cardiology but in all heart related problems. “This center is going to grow and expand and serve other countries in the region,” Rugunda said.

This mission is supported by the Gift of Life International, Rotary club of Kampala North, Greenfield Indiana and Rotary International among others.

Robbie Donno from Gift of life International said they will be using this facility as a mode to train people in other countries to increase the capacity so that they can take care of the children.

Rugunda said President Museveni has directed that all the necessary equipment required by Mulago hospital including Uganda Heart institute be procured.

He added that arrangements are already being made to ensure that the question of equipment will no longer be something to complain about.

The patients who have been operated have saved US$2000 if they were to be operated abroad.

 

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});