Twenty-two patients suffering from severe heart rhythm disorders have successfully undergone life-saving cardiac device implantation procedures at the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital under a collaborative medical mission valued at approximately GHS2 million.
The initiative was undertaken through a partnership involving the Mount Carmel Foundation, the National Cardiothoracic Centre, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares), and Africa World Airlines, with specialist cardiologists and healthcare professionals from Ghana and the United States working together to provide advanced cardiac care.
The five-day mission focused on treating patients with complex heart rhythm abnormalities using specialised procedures, including Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) implantation, and left bundle branch area pacing.
Speaking at a debriefing session after the exercise, Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr. Kow Entsua-Mensah, praised the multidisciplinary team that made the mission a success.
He noted that cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, anesthesiologists, nurses, radiographers, pharmacists, laboratory scientists and other support staff worked seamlessly to ensure the successful treatment of all 22 patients.
According to Dr. Entsua-Mensah, all patients recovered well following the procedures and were expected to be discharged by the end of the mission.
He added that patients who were unable to participate during the exercise would still receive treatment at the Cardio Centre when they become available.
He further described the collaboration as the beginning of a long-term partnership aimed at strengthening Ghana’s capacity in advanced cardiac electrophysiology through continuous knowledge transfer, skills development and local training.
One of the beneficiaries, Juliet Asabea Awuku, who had been living with heart failure caused by peripartum cardiomyopathy, described the procedure as giving her a second chance at life.
She expressed gratitude to both the Ghanaian medical team and the visiting specialists, noting that the financial support provided through the initiative relieved her family of the enormous cost associated with the treatment.
Team leader from the Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Kamel Addo, said the mission focused on providing advanced electrophysiology procedures for under-resourced patients suffering from life-threatening heart rhythm conditions.
He commended the professionalism, discipline and teamwork demonstrated by the staff of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, describing it as instrumental to the successful completion of the procedures.
Dr. Addo also noted that sponsorship from the Mount Carmel Foundation significantly reduced the cost of the cardiac devices and procedures, making the life-saving interventions accessible to patients who otherwise would not have been able to afford them.
