WINDHOEK – The cardiac unit at the Windhoek Central Hospital has successfully attended to 104 patients requiring open heart surgery, 318 open-heart and related procedures were conducted at the unit.
Over 6000 adults and children were served at the outpatient department of the cardiac clinic between April 2018 and March 2019.
The head of cardiac nursing services, senior registered nurse Evi Ileka said on Monday that the cardiac nursing services include cardiac outpatient department, cardiac intensive care unit and high care.
The brief objective of the cardiac nursing services is to provide for a comprehensive cardiac health care services designed to cater for state and private cardiac patients, said Ileka who spoke during Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila’s visit to the cardiac unit on Monday.
Ikela further explained that the cardiac clinic caters for patients suffering from all sorts of heart problems including heart failure, rheumatic heart disease, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).
Patients are directly referred to the unit from all the regions in the country, Ileka further stated.
Also speaking at that occasion, Dr Alfred Mureko, who is assigned to the cardiac unit, lauded government for funding his studies for close to nine years during his journey to becoming a cardiologist. The cardiologist said not many African students are supported that way by their governments.
“I’ve met other trainees from African countries and what stood out was that these people were going to go back to their countries where they don’t have established cardiac services. Namibia has done a great job. This cardiac unit was inaugurated in 2008 and up to this day, it’s still running,” Mureko said.
“Other African countries have tried to open cardiac units and within a few years they collapsed,” he added.
This demonstrates the high cost associated with cardiac services, he noted.
He said that there are deficits at the cardiac unit and these are not unique to Namibia, as they are also observed in South Africa.
On her part, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said “it was a great pleasure” to see the work, commitment, and morale at the cardiac unit.
“It is refreshing to come here to see the challenges that you face but to see your determination and that you do not see these challenges as obstacles but as challenges that can be overcome, that is the spirit,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said while assuring the staff of government’s continued support.
“Where you require us, we are not prepared to say that we cannot do it,” the Prime Minister added.