The Mater Hospital: Cardiac Program

About the Mater Cardiac Program

Before the 1990s, very little cardiac work was being done in Kenya due to scarcity of trained personnel and the high cost of surgery (Heart surgery costs Kshs 500,000 and is out of reach for many Kenyans). Upon this realization The Mater Hospital- Kenya set up a Cardiac Programme in 1995.

The Programme is positioned to cater for the needs of children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, suffering from both congenital and acquired heart disease. Sadly, 50% of children aged between 4 and 8 years seen at the Cardiology Clinics suffer from rheumatic heart disease, subsequent to rheumatic fever that originated from a simple sore throat. 

More than 1,700 children have benefitted from surgery and some of their stories and profiles are in this blog (past beneficiaries).

There are many encouraging outcomes from this program, the highlights being the transformation we see in many past beneficiaries. One beneficiary, Mutwiri Rarama is currently studying Medicine at the University of Nairobi and wishes to specialise in Cardiology. Another beneficiary, Edith Muthoni, is a Nursing Student at the Catherine McAuley School at The Mater Hospital.

How Many Children Need Procedures in Kenya

Globally, 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects. In Kenya, a further 1% develop Rheumatic Heart Disease, mainly in the slums and rural areas where poverty levels are high. This means that every year, more than 10,000 children need heart treatment.

The Mater Hospital corrects an average of 200 paediatric heart defects every year.

The other centre offering this service on a similar scale in Kenya is Kenyatta National Hospital.

Many children therefore succumb before accessing care.

 

The Mater Heartrun:

Help us to touch a child's heart.

Become a friend of The Mater HeartRun and Support us today. 

You can also Join our Blood Donors Group, for details follow this link on service 8.

The Mater Heart Run Past Beneficiaries:

Some of our past beneficiaries and the inspiring stories:

REHEMA MWAURA

10-year-old Rehema is the 1^st born in a family of 4 children.  She attends Methodist Academy Primary School in Mombasa and is in class 3.  She hails from Kinango District in Coast Province. 

Her parents are divorced and Rehema currently stays with an aunt in Kinango.  Her father is a mechanic while her mother does casual jobs to earn a living.

Rehema was diagnosed with a heart problem referred to as PDA (Patent Ductus Arteriosis) in February 2008 when she came for full cardiac evaluation at Mater.  This is the duct that connected her circulation to her mother’s before she was born.  It ought to have closed at birth but somehow remained open, causing a mix-up of pure and impure blood. 

Rehema’s condition was discussed by a joint team of cardiac doctors who recommended diagnostic catheterization which was carried out on 6^th May 2008.  Rehema continued with clinics with a hope of being reviewed by visiting doctors from overseas.

Luckily, she underwent surgery on 10^th of May 2009 by a team from India.  She made good progress and was discharged home on 15^th May 2009 in stable condition.

Compassion International undertook to pay Kshs.150,000/= as a family contribution for Rehema.

ANASTASIA KAVENGI MBATHA

Anastasia is 16 years old and the 5^th born in a family of 5 siblings. She is a class 8 pupil at Ilengi primary school, Maluuma location, Kitui District.

Her father is deceased. Her mother is a housewife who the family depends on for their livelihood.

Anastasia has been unwell for 6 years and has been attending the national hospital for treatment.  She has been unable to access surgery due to the long waiting list at the hospital and also due to lack of finances.

Her uncle who resides in Nairobi told them about the Mater Heart Program. 

She was brought to the cardiac clinic early 2009 where she underwent a full cardiac evaluation. Her case was then discussed at a joint cardiac presentation and it was agreed that she be operated by the visiting doctor from the U.K.

She underwent open-heart surgery on 17^th July 2009 when her mitral valve was successfully repaired.  She made good progress both in Intensive Care Unit and the ward. 

She was discharged home in a stable condition on 29^th July 2009 to be followed up at the clinic.  She has since been reviewed at the clinic and is making good progress.

She aspires to be a nurse.

MOSES MACHARIA WAIRIMU

2-year-old Moses is an only child of his teenage mother, who is an orphan.  They hail from Nyeri where they stay with relatives.

Moses has been ill since birth and a heart defect was diagnosed at a Nyeri Hospital from where they were referred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

A well-wisher referred his mum to Mater where she met the cost of a full evaluation which enabled an accurate diagnosis to be made. Moses was found to have a hole in the heart. Surgery was recommended to close the hole.

His mother was counseled and co-funding concept explained to her and the well-wisher.  The well-wisher contributed Kshs.100,000/= towards the surgery which was successfully carried out on 29^th July 2009.

Moses made slow but steady recovery and was discharged home on 10^th August 2009.