Chain of Hope saves lives one heart operation at a time
Published:Thursday | December 21, 2023 | 12:08 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
At a cost of US$5,000 per replacement heart valve, an average of US$6,000 for consumables and with the price of disposables, the tubing in the cardiopulmonary bypass machine which takes over the functions of the heart and lungs during open heart surgery not yet factored in, cardiac surgery is very expensive, even before doctors’ fees are added.
“The cardiopulmonary bypass machine takes over the function of the heart and lungs during the operation and allows us to operate on a still or motionless heart and that machine has a series of tubes through which the blood flows and for each case, a new set of tubings is needed because these are not re-used. You use it for one patient and then it is discarded. So those are some of what we call perfusion disposables,” paediatric thoracic surgeon Dr Sherard Little told The Gleaner.
He continued: “A lot of these things are not produced locally, so they have to be imported and they are very expensive. Whereas the government does try to buy some of these things, it is never enough for the demand and so, when non-profits and charity organisations come in, we always welcome these donations because there is never enough in the public health care system to go around to all the specialties. So, we welcome the support and every little bit makes a difference.”
Little was the local lead on an operating team led overall by Professor Victor Tsang, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon from the Great Ormond Street Hospital in the United Kingdom (UK), during a recent mission by Chain of Hope UK to the Bustamante Hospital for Children.
He was supporting the appeal by Nola Phillpotts-Brown, general manager of Chain of Hope Jamaica, for corporate Jamaica to dig deep in their pockets to support the many young children afflicted with various heart defects and conditions and who can go on to lead normal lives, if they are operated on in time.
“These kids are born with the heart diseases and their parents are desperate. They have no other source of funding for these procedures and it is an expensive undertaking, so if corporate Jamaica joins with Chain of Hope Jamaica and Chain of Hope, UK to provide financial help for us to get the disposables, the devices that have to be implanted, valves that need to be replaced, their contribution would go a far way in easing the pain and suffering of so many Jamaican children and their families,” she declared.
In the meantime, Emma Scanlan, executive director of Chain of Hope UK, also underscored the vital importance of donations and fundraising to its operations.
“We wouldn’t be able to do this without the generosity of the donors. A lot of the funding comes from fundraising in the UK but also in the United States from the Gift of Life International,” she shared.
Thankfully, the Woman’s Club Foundation of Jamaica recently answered the call by provided $1 million to Chain of Hope Jamaica to fund the life-saving surgery for a two-year-old who was born with a ventricular septal defect and who underwent a successful operation.
A ventricular septal defect is a case in which there is a hole in the wall (septum) that separates the two lower chambers (ventricles) of the heart.
This mission, which marked the celebration of 20 years of Chain of Hope working in Jamaica, showcased the impact of collaborative efforts in providing critical cardiac care to children in need over the years.
“We are honoured to contribute to the Chain of Hope UK mission and witness the transformation of young lives. Our commitment to the well-being of Jamaican children is unwavering and we are proud to be a part of this remarkable initiative,” Patricia Cluck, chairman of the Woman’s Club Foundation of Jamaica, said of its invaluable contribution.
Little shared his insights on the impact of such donations.
“We are overjoyed that The Woman’s Club Foundation of Jamaica has made it possible for one more child to receive life-saving heart surgery. Thanks to the generous donation, this child will be able to enjoy a normal, active life.”