Dar es Salaam — THE Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI) has officially started a strategy to provide heart transplant services in the country by forming a special committee that will carry out the work for years.
Speaking today during the 10th anniversary of the institution, JKCI Director, Dr. Peter Kisenge, Tanzania, will be the first country in East Africa to provide the heart transplant service.
"Today, as we celebrate 10 years, we are going to open a special committee that will work for years to carry out the work of heart transplants. This is a great achievement as a heart transplant institution.
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He said that countries that carry out heart transplants in Africa include South Africa, Egypt, and North Africa.
"The need is great, heart diseases are increasing rapidly, and young people are getting heart muscle diseases where the heart is tired and when you are under 50 years old why lose your life early that is why we as an institution want to protect the health of the citizens so that they can be treated," emphasized Dr. Kisenge.
He noted that currently, patients in African countries experiencing problems find refuge in JKC, while mentioning that these great achievements are due to innovation.
"The equipment we have installed here is great, the government has invested in equipment used by developed countries like the United States, England, and others, and 20 major hospitals in the world come to provide services here, they come because of the development of equipment and facilities invested by the government," he explained.
Dr. Kisenge said that the institution has now been able to perform valve replacement surgery without opening the chest, where such services are provided only by major hospitals.
"Heart disease treatment worldwide is a costly affair, with 10m/- being allocated and the cost of treatment being six million, so it is a lot of money and the government has done a great job, 75 percent have health insurance and now the government has passed health insurance for all, now all people will get services," he said.
He said the government also has a mechanism to provide medical exemptions where JKCI, every month, exempts more than 200m/-.
He thanked various stakeholders from banks and public organizations because last year they provided 2.7bn/-, which has gone to the less fortunate.
"I ask them to bring money when they have the means," he stressed.
Dr. Kisenge said heart diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles such as excessive alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, poor diet, and excessive smoking, and urged Tanzanians to exercise.
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