Thankfulness

The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) is the only cardiac surgery center not only in Tanzania, but in East Africa. This means that patients don’t only come from Dar es Salaam, but from all over the region – most often arduous overland journeys with money put together by their communities back home.

The OHI Team has been named “a blessing” by a few persons I have met – notably a mum who was happy to have her polaroid taken after her child had a successful operation. For me, witnessing this thankfulness makes all the hard work worth it!

One of the first patients to have an operation during our time here was Gets, a 15-year-old boy who had a mitral valve replacement (MVR). Here are a few pictures of him in surgery and now in the ICU. It is expected that he will leave the ICU today to the ward.