Chinese doctors gave my child a second life, and I sincerely thank them! “On the morning of January 18th, when she learned that her 3-year-old son Ikram’s heart surgery was successful, 22-year-old Tanzanian mother Khusna Shaban Kinvand was moved to tears.
Not long ago, a team consisting of 5 Chinese medical experts, 6 local Tanzanian experts, and members of the 27th batch of Chinese medical aid teams performed surgeries on 5 children with congenital heart disease in Tanzania at the Kikwete Heart Disease Research Institute, which was built with Chinese aid in Dar es Salaam.
These children range from 3 years old to 7 years old, and Ikram is one of them. They underwent a heart disease surgery using the non-invasive ultrasound-guided percutaneous intervention technique pioneered by a team of Chinese experts. This technology was developed by Professor Pan Xiangbin’s team at the Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. It uses ultrasound guided instruments to accurately treat cardiovascular diseases without the need for chest opening or radiation equipment, greatly reducing surgical risks.
Emmanuel, who is 5 years old this year, was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when he was three months old. Since then, he has been seeking medical treatment frequently, and his mother Viole Samuel Mukonwa had to resign from her job to focus on taking care of him. Today, thanks to Chinese experts, my child can finally go to school healthy like other children! “Said Mukonwa.
Teaching people how to fish is better than giving them fish. On the 17th, Pan Xiangbin conducted specialized training for about 50 Tanzanian cardiovascular doctors at the Kikwete Institute of Cardiology. He stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that the non radioactive ultrasound-guided percutaneous intervention technology is a revolution in the field of cardiovascular intervention therapy, greatly reducing treatment costs and achieving wider accessibility.
This technology has reached a world leading level in safety, effectiveness, and convenience. We can even deliver surgeries to remote villages through mobile medical vehicles
This technology has not only saved the lives of many children, but also set a new example for the treatment of cardiovascular disease in Africa, “said Theodore Ludovic, a pediatrician at the Kikwete Heart Institute. He went to China for a three-month training on this technology in October last year.
Peter Kisenga, director of the Kikwete Institute of Cardiology, said that the introduction of this advanced technology will greatly enhance Tanzania’s ability to treat cardiovascular diseases. At present, our hospital can complete about 700 heart surgeries per year. If this technology is applied, this data can be increased to over 2000 cases
Kisenge stated that since the signing of the “Counterpart Support Cooperation Agreement” between Fuwai Hospital and the Kikwete Institute of Cardiology in Tanzania in 2018, the two sides have strengthened cooperation in cardiovascular disease screening, diagnosis and treatment, and medical staff training, achieving fruitful results. For decades, Tanzania and China have deeply cooperated in the medical field, witnessing the long-lasting friendship between the two countries and providing valuable Chinese experience for the construction of medical capacity in Africa.