Mediheal hospital will start offering heart surgeries from this month.
This will reduce the need for Kenyans travelling abroad for the same.
Its proprietor Swarrup Mishra said they have set up a centre that offers specialist work in cardiology, neurosurgery, spine surgery, reconstruction surgery, kidney and liver transplants.
“This year, we will focus on heart surgery. The launch of this cardiac surgery centre will help us reduce the number of people seeking treatment abroad and significantly bring the cost down,” Mishara said
He spoke during the World Heart day celebrations hosted by the hospital in Parklands.
He said heart surgeries in India cost about Sh2 million, while in South Africa it is about Sh3 million.
“With our advancement in the treatment of critical conditions, the cost ranges between Sh400,000 and Sh500,000,” he said.
Mishra said heart problems in Kenya are growing alongside the rise in other non-communicable diseases.
“Incidences of cardiac diseases are increasing daily; both emergency and elective surgeries would be needed to solve these issues which have seen a sharp increase during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Every year, September 29 is celebrated as World Heart Day, organised by the World Heart Federation to create awareness on cardiovascular diseases.
Mediheal cardiology surgeon Dr Sumit Modi said studies have shown that there is a link between cardiovascular diseases and Covid-19.
“Therefore, taking care of the heart today is more important than ever,” he said.
Leading a team of 15 experts from India, Modi said they are ready for the task ahead.
“We look forward to offering advanced treatment options that range from complex cardiac surgeries to minimally invasive procedures to robotic-assisted procedures,” he said.
Modi said each surgical procedure at the Cardiac Surgery Centre, is tailored to the individual patient and will be performed with a specially trained cardiac surgery team working together to provide comprehensive care before, during, and after surgery.
“Our cardiac specialists include a multidisciplinary team of compassionate and caring healthcare professionals,” he said.
Dr Modi said there was a misconception that the disease affected high-income earners or citizens of developed countries, however, he said, nowadays the diseases are more prevalent in middle and lower-income groups.
Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for much of the non-communicable disease burden in the country, he emphasized.
According to the National STEPwise Survey for NCDs carried out in 2015, more than half-56 per cent-of the adult population has never had their blood pressure measured yet almost one in four Kenyans is living with hypertension and with just about a quarter of them being on medication.
The survey also revealed that over 90 per cent of people diagnosed with hypertension have not attained control of the disease.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
