Same cause

Open Heart International (OHI) are back in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for a third mission at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute at Muhumbili National Hospital. This trip, OHI has teamed up with Mending Kids, a non-profit that provides life-changing surgical care to children worldwide. Both OHI & MK share the goal of treating and teaching.

The team is split between adult and paediatric teams, with both day and night shifts covered. The group consists of surgeons, a bio medical engineer, an intensivist, perfusionists, anaesthetists, theatre nurses, intensive care nurses, ward nurses, a cardiologist, a sonographer, a physiotherapist, a coordinator, and a media liaison totalling 30 people.

Unpacking and sorting of equipment, case selection and final preparations before day one took place on Saturday 11th. Surgery is scheduled from Sunday 12th until Friday 17th and a case brief at the end on Saturday 18th. Some team members have worked at the institute before while others got their first introduction to the local team and hospital – everyone is looking forward to getting started!