AFTER five decades of specialising in open heart surgeries, internationally renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Professor Robin Kinsley has embarked on a new journey aimed at giving back to the community. The world renowned surgeon has successfully completed operations on patients with some of the world’s most rare cases of heart abnormalities.
Majoring in paediatric surgery, Kinsley has performed 15 000 open heart surgeries and operated on babies who were only a few days old.
Speaking to the Northglen News, Kinsley who is based at Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital, Durban said he could not be more proud of the work he’s done in the past five decades. However he is bothered by the number of children who lose their lives because their parents cannot afford to pay for heart operations.
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“I believe that every child born anywhere in the world with a congenital heart defect should have access to appropriate medical and surgical care. Most of the children on lists waiting for operations die years before they get a date. Most of their conditions can be rectified but because of funding, a life is lost,” said Kinsley.
Kinsley said in South African only one in 10 children with heart conditions receive the medical assistance they require, the rest sadly die because they can’t afford the operations because they do not have access to medical aid.
The surgeon is now on a mission to start a foundation aimed at ensuring that more this theory fabricates to reality. Working with various stakeholders, Kinsley with the support of Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre will soon launch The Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa.
Kinsley is also a founding member of the World Society of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, established in 2005. He said the society’s mission was similar to The Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa where both the aims are to promote the highest quality comprehensive cardiac care to all patients with congenital heart disease, from the fetus to the adult, regardless of the patient’s economic means, with an emphasis on excellence in teaching, research and community service.
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The 77-year-old said the foundation will also focus on training surgeons from various parts of the world.
“The goal is not just to operate, it is also to train new surgeons who can take the knowledge and go save lives in their communities. If the focus was only on operating we would not even get halfway through the long waiting list of children hoping for a miracle,” he said.
At Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, over 500 children are believed to be on the waiting list, hoping their day comes before death does.
Kinsley said with his foundation he hoped to start working with government and the private sector to save as many children’s lives as possible. The foundation was officially announced at an event honouring Kinsley for his 50 years of service at the Oyster Box Hotel on Wednesday, 18 April.
