Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa launched in Sandton

The Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa, which aims to ensure that children across Africa have access to cardiac surgery, was launched in Sandton.

The foundation, which was started by world-renowned paediatric heart surgeon Professor Robin Kinsley, will seek to save the lives of babies born with a congenital heart defect. Throughout Africa, many children do not have access to life-saving cardiac surgery because there are either no qualified surgeons or because patients lack the funds for private health care.

It is Kinsley’s dream, to breach this cap to ensure that every child, regardless of their family’s financial background, receives the necessary care.

“Over the years I am more and more struck by the fact that virtually every child with a cardiac condition can be corrected or at least very well palliated,” he said.

Kinsley added that the biggest factor was still the cost of surgery, however, he noted that the cost paled in significance to the number of children who go on to lead long lives because of the surgery. “One of my greatest pleasures is when I see grown-up people who were operated on as neonates [newborn child], some as young as 12-hours-old, who are now grown up, fully functional adults.”

The foundation will rely on a partnership between the public and private sectors. The foundation will utilise excess capacity in a private hospital to facilitate the surgery for those who otherwise would not receive it. The foundation will assist children from across Africa as many countries still do not have world-class facilities like those available in South Africa.

Maurice Goodman, the chief medical officer at Discovery as well as a trustee of the foundation said the foundation had resonated with him and the Discovery Foundation which sought to get involved in communities of need.

Niresh Bechan, the general manager of the Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre, where the procedures will take place, said the surgery could cost up to R450 000. This does not take into consideration the flights and accommodation for the families which is why this foundation to help raise those funds is so essential.

The foundation conducted its first surgery in February on a seven-year-old girl from Acra who had been given only six months to live without surgery.

Kashmira Naran, one of Kinsley’s former patients said, “I am extremely grateful for the work that he’s done… it’s not just about the numbers but it’s about the lives and there’s no value that we can attribute to life but we do need the resources and the funding to assist.”

For more information about how to contribute to the foundation visit www.tccfa.org

Details: Children’s Cardiac Foundation of Africa funding@tccfa.org

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