High Cost of Heart Surgery Scares Patients as Surgeon Calls for Support

A Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC), Dr Innocent Kwashie Adzamli, has revealed that the cost of a heart surgery at the centre currently ranges from $1,500 (GH¢ 6752.93) to $8,000 (GH¢ 36015.60), depending on the severity of the condition.

This he said has led to a number of people especially children, unable to raise money to join the waiting list for surgical procedures.

According to Dr Adzamli, the high cost of treating patients with the hole-in-heart conditions has discouraged some people who were once diagnosed, from returning to the hospital thus hanging a death sentence on their necks.

He made this disclosure in an interview with THE PUBLISHER after children of Vilac International made a donation to the Heart Foundation, in Accra, on Wednesday.

The Surgeon therefore made a solemn appeal for donors to come to the aid of the centre in order to save the lives of children with ailing hearts.

“The services are very expensive and it is difficult for individuals to raise funds so, I want to appeal to corporate institutions, banks, industries and other individuals to come out to the aid of the NCTC from time to time even if it is once in a year,” he said.

A new Heart Centre Needed

Dr Adzamli further called on government to consider setting up a new heart centre since the present one can no longer contain the number of patients that troop in daily for medical care.

“We have overgrown this place. So, we need a new heart centre.

If you come to the OPD in the mornings on Mondays, Thursdays and Friday, you’d see the place choked with an overflow on the corridors and outside of the building

“We need more Intensive Care Units (ICU)…presently we have an ICU that can only take four people so, if any fifth person will not get space in the ICU if needed,” he lamented.

The Donation

The Ghana Heart foundation received a donation of GH¢5000 from the children of Vilac International School to support a child with hole-in-heart.

According to Mr. Benedict Agyemang, a science tutor at the school, the children started these donations five years ago after they had learnt about the plight of children living with congenital heart diseases.

“Wednesday after worship, there is a big bowl for voluntary donations. The chaplaincy department keeps the money in a special account and at the end of the year, the money is withdrawn and brought to the foundation,” he said

According to Mr Agyemang, if children can go an extra mile to help their colleagues, then all Ghanaians must think of a way to help these unfortunate children.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]