Corporates urged to back life-saving heart care for children

Corporate Namibia has been urged to step up support for specialised paediatric cardiac care as Windhoek Central Hospital treats about 2 000 children with heart defects each year amid limited access to specialised services.

The call was made on Tuesday during the handover of six paediatric intensive care unit (ICU) monitors, valued at nearly N$800 000, to Windhoek Central Hospital.

The monitors, bought through contributions from the Bank of Namibia, First National Bank Namibia and the FirstRand Namibia Foundation, will enable healthcare workers to continuously monitor critically ill children’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and oxygen levels, while providing alerts when their condition deteriorates.

Paediatric and congenital cardiologist at Windhoek Central Hospital, Dr Fenny Shidhika, who sought corporate support for the equipment, said the donation would strengthen the hospital’s ability to provide affordable, accessible and quality care to children living with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Shidhika told Namibian Sun that the hospital had already treated 700 patients with heart-related complaints as outpatients between January and April this year alone.

“This figure is unusual for a small country, but it is also unusual that some of the heart defects have not been properly described in a textbook. The number might be higher by the end of the year,” she said.

Shidhika said that while the health ministry was working to improve specialised services, demand remained significant.

“Children are the demographic dividend of this country. They are the future. If we do not look after them, there will be no future,” Shidhika said.

Namibia continues to record a high burden of congenital heart disease, with cases exceeding the global average of about one in every 100 births.

CHD refers to structural and functional abnormalities of the heart and the major blood vessels connected to it. The condition can vary in severity, with some children requiring early diagnosis, specialised monitoring and treatment.

Unsung heroes

Bank of Namibia deputy governor Leonie Dunn said the donation was intended to help improve the quality of specialised healthcare available to Namibians.

“We honour you for delivering these services. You are the unsung heroes of our nation, and we want to make your work lighter by handing over these monitors,” Dunn said.

She called on more companies to support the hospital so that it can expand specialised services as Namibia’s national referral facility serving patients from all 14 regions.

First National Bank of Namibia head of public sector banking, Bolle Hans, said the donation was ultimately about children and families placing their hope in the healthcare system.

“Healthcare is one of those areas where the impact extends beyond the individual patient. When a child receives the care they need, they are able to return to school, grow and participate fully in society,” Hans said.

He added that the benefits of treating children extend to their families, communities and the broader economy.