Little Hearts Charity – Libya

We really appreciate your donation = click this link to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/little-heartslibya

It was a long journey to this work that began in December 2017. With determination and presence, good people accomplished this work. There was no boredom, and if a door was locked, another door was opened. There are promises and disappointments and who promise, and I keep it his promise, thank you to both who kept and who did not keep his promise. All this in order to reduce the suffering of the patients and their families and we have the possibilities and we can reduce the suffering and such work needs continuation and seriousness and not boredom. It also requires knowing the decision-makers and talk to them constantly and will not not give up as this work must be done as this is one of your objectives

The 30th March 2019 is the last day of the campaign of little hearts mission in Libya and few points about this work. The campaign of little hearts in Libya and the medical team of Muntadaaid charity in Britain, today ended their work in Libya after 8 days of hard work, which lasted from 23 to 30 March 2019 the team treated 53 cases of children and four over the age of 18 years with congenital heart diseases

At Tajoura Heart Centre- Tripoli- Libya

From March 27, 2019, the medical team lead by Dr Abdulla and Dr Ibrahim from Muntadaaid charity- London, started the work at the Tajoura Heart Centre and completed 33 cases who got ASD (Atrial septal defect), VSD (ventricular septal defect) and PDA ( Patent ductus arteriousa as well as aortic stenosis or coaractation of aorta plus diagnostic procedures for over 20 cases which have been identified, all diagnosed and prepared for the next time.

All the cases leave on the second day of the operation after a check with Echo cardiograph by the operating doctors and will be follow up all cases the next time.

The Libyan crew was on schedule, without boredom, fatigue, and all nurses, technicians or doctors in good spirits for this job. It was an opportunity for some doctors to learn despite the short time, but the training program agreed and will be working for dispatching of 6 doctors, 2 from Sabha and 2 from Tripoli and 2 from Benghazi in the field of heart surgery for children as well as intervention cardiology for paediatric age groups and adults with congenital heart diseases

At Tripoli Medical Centre

The team then moved to Tripoli Medical Centre on 28-30 March 2019. With the very modern equipment for catheterization lab, it was operated and used for the first time and the team succeeded with the Libyan medical staff to operate and use it in more than 20 cases successfully.

The crew began work with the medical staff at the centre and conducted 20 operations using the Cath Lab, closing ASD’s. VSD’s and PDA’s and expanding some valves for two cases. It was remarkable that a 49-year-old woman had a ventricular septal defect, which not corrected yet (VSD). She was delighted that the team agreed to do her cases even, so she was rejected many times abroad and in Libya to have her VSD closed. It was the longest case where the size of the hole was large and there was none of the devices will fit her VSD as all devices were ordered for specific children, but the team managed to help her and close her VSD and next day she went home. It is great relief for her as she is been waiting all these years.

Today was the 30th March 2019 being the last day of the team after eight days of hard work without stop except to eat and drink. The medical staff at the hospitals were on time, diligent and eager to proceed as expected, and each operation was successful. Thanks to all, the success of these operations, and there were no problems and no complications, and all patients went home the next day after a check with echocardiography. Everyone is delighted for the outcome and more delighted are the children and their parents who are anxious and not able to do anything in the past. Congratulations to all

Thanks to Dr Abdullah and Dr Ibrahim from the Muntadaaid and they are from Turkey and they have done this wonderful work for free and God willing and will always be so in the coming years and we will start open heart surgery for children next time.

Muntadaaid is a charitable organization that conducts little hearts campaigns in several countries and consists of several consultants and surgeons for children’s heart, specialized nurses, technicians and anaesthesia and PICU consultant, and from several countries Britain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, South Africa. This team has conducted more than three thousand cases during the past ten years, all free of charge and included Sudan, Kenya, Bangladesh and Mali and many others

The Ministry of Health in Libya paid for the tickets, accommodation and purchase of supplies. The total expenditure on this trip was 126 thousand Libyan dinars. The price of the Devices was 57,000 Euros. The total amount spent on this campaign according to the bank rate in euros is only € 80,000 and 53 cases have been treated

A special greeting to Mr Abdulsalam Intat Abushagour, who was keen to help us and complete the procedures of tickets, accommodation and meeting the team and look after them all time this time and back in December 2018 when the Manager of Muntadaaid visited Libya and signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Heart Centre and the Tripoli Medical Centre.

I also thank everyone who contributed to helping me make this work a success. Dr Omar Bashir started out with me when he was Minister of Health and completed by Dr Ahmid Omar. Thank you to Mr Mohammed Haitham Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health and Dr Khaled Attia, Dr Bashir Belkheir, Dr Abdul Raouf Fares, Dr Abdulsalam Ashtewi, Dr Tawfik Harisha and professor Al-Bajqani and Sister Majdulin. From TMC, Dr Abdul Muttalib Eisa and Abdul Rahman Al-Ruwaimi and Nabil ageli and their staff to help us and facilitated the work for the team from Muntadaaid.

I also not to forget to thank the driver, who was very attentive and comes to the crew at 7:00 am and is always there until they leave the hospital at 8:00 pm and this is not strange to those who love his work.

Special greetings to Kabir Mia, Director of the Muntadaaid little hearts program and Osama Al-Sudani a Coordinator, and Mr. Husni Bey, who donated 11,000 Euros to help with the purchase of supplies, provided by IHB (love in Arabic) charity Benghazi (Ibrahim Husni Bye charity Benghazi)

Dr. Nagi Barakat