13 cases

Exactly 13 children’s little hearts have been mended, giving the patients better lives thanks to Open Heart International (OHI) and it’s first surgical and training trip to Dar es Salaam.

The purpose of this third trip to Tanzania was for OHI to advance the training of three local doctors- anaesthetist Onesmo Mhewa, paediatric surgeon Godwin Sharau, and cardiologist Naizihiiwa Mno ng’one- and their large team of nurses and support staff.

On the last day at Muhimbili National Hospital, the team were thanked with an official get together and lunch at theJakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute.

During the luncheon Surgeon David Andrews said Dr Godwin had come leaps and bounds in the past year, which made him proud to see.

“If you keep up the good work over the next year I won’t have to come back,” Dr Andrews said.

“Then you can come to Australia and teach me, which would be great, because that is what a teacher wants.”

Professor Janabi, our gracious host at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, thanked us for being in Africa with them and said he learnt a lot.

“The challenges we face that you have shown us – they were worse before, so we are improving,”he says.

“My waiting list is 500 and they keep coming every day.

“Some teams come to reduce waiting lists, we appreciate you teaching and when the team leaves we realise a hundred things.

“We will think about what we have learnt, what we can we do better and what we have achieved.

“Soon when you visit what you have pointed out might not be there.”