Zim, Egypt Partner in Life-Saving Cardiac Surgery ...

Zim, Egypt Partner in Life-Saving Cardiac Surgery Mission

Rutendo Mazhindu- Zim Now Reporter

Zimbabwe and Egypt have strengthened their health cooperation through the launch of the second Egypt–Zimbabwe Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Mission, dubbed Open Heart Camp 2, which aims to deliver life-saving cardiac procedures to children across the country.

Speaking during the official launch of the initiative at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare yesterday, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Sleiman Kwidini, hailed the programme as a milestone in Pan-African collaboration and a beacon of hope for Zimbabwean families.

“This mission is far more than a surgical programme. It is a bold demonstration of African solutions for African problems,” said Dr. Kwidini.

“We are here not only to witness medical miracles but to celebrate a story of solidarity, skills-sharing, and saving lives.”

Under the camp, up to 10 children from nearly all provinces are expected to undergo complex open-heart surgeries, following the success of the first revived mission in 2024, where 10 children received life-saving operations. All are now said to be healthy and thriving.

Dr. Kwidini emphasised that the partnership is not only about medical intervention but also focuses on building sustainable local capacity.

“Skills are not just being applied—they are being transferred, shared, and multiplied,” he said.

“Our local surgeons, nurses, and specialists are learning side-by-side with one of Africa’s most accomplished surgical teams. This is capacity-building at its finest.”

He commended the Egyptian surgical team for their generosity and commitment, describing it as the highest form of Pan-African unity.

“To our Egyptian medical team, your dedication shows the spirit of African cooperation. Together, we are creating a self-sustaining model for paediatric care on our own soil,” he said.

Egyptian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Salwa Mowafi, reiterated her country's commitment to supporting Zimbabwe's health sector.

“We are, as I mentioned, highly committed to helping all the countries in Africa — and of course our sister Zimbabwe,” said Ambassador Mowafi.

“We are glad to know the needs, and we are ready to share our experiences and training.”

She added that Egypt’s support would go beyond cardiac surgery.

“You see, we have here our team, a very renowned team from Egypt headed by Dr. Hisham Shaoui, and many more teams can come in order to share experiences across many specialties,” she said.

“Egyptian medicine is already here in the government hospitals, and whatever is needed here in Zimbabwe, we stand by your country and your people for changing lives. This is a priority for us towards Africa.”

The head of the Egyptian surgical delegation, Professor Hesham Shawlky, said the programme has already grown in complexity and scope since it was first launched.

“The first camp was in November. We started with simple cases,” said Prof. Shawlky. “Now, eight months later, we are doing more difficult surgeries and on younger patients.”

He noted that the training component was progressing steadily.

“Every case includes one of the Zimbabwean team members assisting. They are learning bit by bit, and we are also providing lectures from our staff,” he said.

However, Prof. Shawlky acknowledged that the programme faces logistical challenges.

“We need more supplies to maintain the programme. When we finished the last trip, we ran short of supplies, and the work could not continue,” he said.

“There are good promises now, and we hope they will be fulfilled so this programme can be sustained.”

Prof. Shawlky also revealed that Egypt is working on launching similar collaborations in oncology.

“We’re starting to link the oncology department here with one in Egypt to run a similar camp,” he said. “It’s still in the early stages, but we hope this will grow. As Ambassador Mowafi said, this is a continuous, sustainable cooperation between Egypt and Zimbabwe—starting with cardiac surgery and moving into oncology and beyond.”

Dr. Kwidini expressed appreciation for international and local partners, including Gift of Life International, Rotary Club of Harare Central, NOIC, Avenues Clinic, and Cimas, for supporting the mission.