NGO announces free heart surgeries for 150 children annually

A non-profit organization, Hospitals for Humanity (HfH) has pledged to perform life-saving heart surgeries on 150 children with congenital heart defects every year, addressing the significant healthcare challenges faced by Nigerian children.

The NGO’s promise comes as a response to the alarming reality that fewer than 0.001% of the estimated 85,000 children born with congenital heart defects receive the necessary surgical treatment.

HfH recently celebrated a decade of its “Saving Little Hearts” program while raising funds for 150 Nigerian children in need of critical heart surgery.

While claiming that more than 130 successful open-heart procedures have been performed, the NGO said it is focusing on building the long-term capacity of local hospitals and medical personnel.

Under Dr. Segun Ajayi’s leadership, Hospitals for Humanity (HfH) has performed 16 pediatric cardiac catheterizations, screened over 1,500 Nigerian children for congenital heart defects, and procured $6.5 million worth of medical supplies, medication, and equipment, demonstrating its commitment to improving pediatric cardiac care.

Dr. Ajayi revealed that Hospitals for Humanity has created five pediatric cardiovascular intensive care units and additional ICUs in Nigeria, significantly expanding the country’s capacity for critical care.

While speaking on the challenge of congenital heart defects in Nigeria, he said, “Hospitals for Humanity has a revolving list of over 1,000 patients from all over Nigeria. These children need these surgeries urgently and cannot afford to pay for treatment.

“We want to save at least 150 lives each year by performing free heart surgery on Nigerian children. We will significantly decrease healthcare barriers and create improved access to quality healthcare services through clinical medicine, training programmes for local medical professionals, research, advocacy and development.

‘We can’t do all of these alone, so we say a great big thank you to all our partners, sponsors, medical and non-medical volunteers and donors.”

The Executive Director of HfH, Ms Myna Shegog, added, “Every time, we pour ourselves into this work and when we come back year after year, it is an honour to see the fruits of our labour as these children progress, grow and thrive.”

Punch