Accra: A Qatar Charity medical team, in collaboration with the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), has successfully treated 40 children with heart defects free of charge. The intervention, conducted at the UGMC using a minimally invasive procedure known as cardiac catheterisation, saved the parents the distress of not having the means to seek treatment.
According to Ghana News Agency, Professor Nana-Akyaa Yao, a Paediatric Cardiologist, noted that this was a cost-saving option for the families involved, who would have otherwise spent an average of $5,000 to $6,000. 'It's distressing when parents are informed their children have heart defects but are unable to afford the necessary treatment,' she added. Professor Yao called for strengthened health infrastructure and increased capacity-building to reduce Ghana's dependence on humanitarian organisations for such medical intervention.
She praised Qatar Charity for its continuous support for the intervention in Ghana, adding, 'They come with everything necessary and they do these procedures for free for the children.' Dr. Abdul-Same Tanko, Chief Executive Officer of UGMC, said the Centre had envisioned moving away from being solely a tertiary healthcare delivery centre to a partner centre as this medical intervention reflects that plan. 'This is an area that is not very developed in Ghana. By collaborating with Qatar Charity, we hope to raise the profile of our centre and help these children, who until these interventions, have very little to be offered except for pure open-heart surgery,' he said.
He also highlighted the role of the procedure being undertaken at UGMC, noting that it would boost the Centre's profile on both domestic and international fronts. The CEO stated that the collaboration with the Qatar Charity was quite unique, emphasizing how dire the absence of such services was to the country. He noted that the collaboration with Qatar Charity allowed specialists at UGMC to upgrade their expertise, promoting skills transfer. 'So, as we go along, our own residents and doctors will also be part of this procedure. They will acquire the skills and the knowledge will remain a skill of the University of Ghana Medical Centre.'
Dr. Iyad Al-Ammouri, a Professor of Paediatric Cardiology and a volunteer for Qatar Charity, praised the hospitality shown to his team by their Ghanaian counterparts. He pledged that Qatar Charity would continue to support future heart procedures until Ghana was able to wean itself off external support. Cardiac catheterization is a medical procedure used to diagnose and sometimes treat heart and blood vessel conditions. It involves inserting a long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel and guiding it to the heart.