Heart screening camp opens path to India treatment
ZANZIBAR: CHILDREN diagnosed with serious heart conditions during a special cardiac screening camp in Zanzibar will receive support to access specialised treatment in India under a partnership involving the Ministry of Health Zanzibar and development partners.
Zanzibar’s Acting Minister for Health, Dr Saada Mkuya Salum, said the initiative is part of a collaboration between the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, NAHR AL HAYAT from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the UAE Red Crescent to improve access to specialised healthcare services for children with heart diseases.
Speaking after visiting the ongoing Special Paediatric Cardiac Screening Camp at Lumumba Hospital in Unguja, Dr Saada said the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar remains committed to working with development partners to ensure citizens receive quality and accessible specialised healthcare.
“The camp has brought a team of specialist cardiologists from the UAE to provide advanced cardiac screening for children from birth to 15 years of age from both Unguja and Pemba,” she said.
Dr Saada said the presence of the visiting specialists would significantly expand access to diagnosis for children with heart conditions, many of whom had not previously received comprehensive screening.
“I urge parents and guardians to take full advantage of this opportunity by bringing their children to the designated centres for screening,” she said.
The Acting Minister said children found to require advanced treatment would be supported to receive specialised care in India through the partnership involving the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, NAHR AL HAYAT UAE and the UAE Red Crescent.
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Head of the International Cooperation Unit, Dr Juma Ali Makame, said the camp is providing detailed cardiac screening using modern equipment, alongside medical counselling to help parents care for children diagnosed with heart conditions.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Fatma Omar Hassan, thanked the government and its partners for bringing specialised services closer to the community, saying the programme had renewed hope for families seeking treatment for their children.
The screening camp began at Lumumba Hospital on August 3 and will continue in Kizimkazi on August 4 before moving to Chake Chake Hospital in Pemba on August 5 and 6.
The Ministry of Health has urged parents and guardians of children showing symptoms of heart disease to attend the scheduled screening centres, saying early diagnosis is vital in saving lives and ensuring timely treatment.
