Three NGOs to rescue children with heart disease

Monaco Humanitarian Collective in close collaboration with “Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque” and a local NGO “Le Bon Samaritain” has organized a press conference, this March 7, to raise awareness of the challenges faced by children with heart disease and other orthopedic pathologies to be treated abroad.

Spès Nihangaza: “Parents should consult heart specialists as early as possible”

Alexis Butoyi, Legal Representative of a local NGO involved in humanitarian assistance “Le Bon Samaritain” has said at least 1% of children are born with heart malformation in Burundi. “About 50% died because they didn’t receive appropriate treatment”, he said adding that the association has already supported 226 children suffering from heart disease to have medical treatment abroad since 2012. Among them 181 are children aged between 11 months and 15 years while 45 are adult people.

Butoyi has said the association has also identified 152 children suffering from heart disease in 2018 but only 53 were treated instead of 62 who got all required documents. “This means that some of them died before arriving at destination as their diseases were at a very advanced stage”, he says. The patients are sent to 11 countries including France, Belgium, Monaco… “Le Bon Samaritain” helps patients in psychological, medical and logistic charges.

Grégoire Ngenzebuhoro, representing “Mécénat” organization in Burundi which works in partnership with “Le Bon Samaritain” said the institution has already operated 3000 patients since 1996 including 142 Burundians. “When the patients are already identified by local NGOs, “Mécénat” ensures all charges including ticket fees”, he said adding that the organization has already paid the tickets for 86 patients. Ngenzebuhoro then called upon other humanitarian organizations to intervene and assist as many patients as possible.

Spès Nihangaza, Legal Representative of FVS-AMADE Burundi and Monaco Consul to Burundi has said Monaco contributed to the treatment of children aged less than 15 suffering from heart disease and other orthopedic pathologies. “There are host families that take care of those children. This means it is not necessary to accompany them”, she said.

Nihangaza called upon parents who have children who present strange symptoms to go to hospital as early as possible. “Some of our patients are not accepted because their disease is at a very advanced stage. Parents might consult heart specialists very early to start working on identified cases”, she said adding that patients pay nothing to receive treatment abroad.