HARARE – Vice President General Rtd Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care in Zimbabwe, visited a patient named Blessing Bonda at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
Bonda had undergone open heart surgery earlier that day. The surgical team at the hospital, led by cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr Simukayi Machawira, performed the operation.
Dr Machawira highlighted the need for open heart surgeries in Zimbabwe, stating that approximately 4,000 children born in the country each year require such surgeries to survive. He also mentioned that there is a significant burden of rheumatic heart disease in the country, with around 500 to 600 patients currently awaiting surgery for this condition.
Currently, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is the only facility in both the private and public sectors in Zimbabwe that is equipped to perform open heart surgeries. However, there are plans underway to decentralize these surgeries to other hospitals across the country.
