Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
DOCTORS at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals have successfully performed an open-heart surgery using a newly acquired heart-lung machine for the first time, marking a major boost to Zimbabwe’s public cardiac care capacity.
The landmark procedure was conducted in Harare on Tuesday, as the hospital commissioned a state-of-the-art bypass machine procured by Government.
Before the operation, doctors and nurses observed a quiet moment of prayer as the patient was prepared for surgery, a reflection of both the gravity of the procedure and the significance of the milestone for the country’s health sector.
While open-heart surgery is not new at Parirenyatwa, Specialist Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon Dr Simukayi Percy Machawira said the arrival of the new machine represents a critical upgrade.
“We are happy to let you know that we have received a new heart-lung machine, also called the bypass machine. It was procured by the Government, and we received it towards the end of last year. It is a stocked S5 machine, a brand new state-of-the-art machine. So it will help us to perform our procedures better for our patients. And today we are commissioning it on our first patient that we are going to be operating on using this machine. This is a new state-of-the-art machine,” he said.
For nearly two decades, the unit relied on ageing equipment to carry out complex cardiac procedures, resulting in intermittent disruptions.
Dr Machawira said the new machine equipped with six pumps is more efficient and less traumatic to blood and blood products used during surgery.
“The lifespan is at least 10 to 15 years, and with refurbishment, it can last even longer. What it means for open-heart surgery is that we can now operate continuously. We have been operating in stops and starts due sometimes to the failure of the machine, and now we have a brand new machine straight from the box, and we expect it to have at least a five to 10-year uninterrupted service to our population,” he said.
He added that since the resumption of cardiac procedures in 2023, the team has operated on approximately 92 patients.
“And now we are expecting, hopefully, if everything is available, we can operate on one to two patients. Maybe we might be able to even make that 92 this year. We are also planning to have a camp in the near future where we’ll be able to operate on about 10 patients in a week,” he said.
In recent months, Government has stepped up the procurement of specialised equipment for public hospitals, including dialysis machines, CT scanners and heart surgery equipment.
For the surgical team, Tuesday’s operation signalled years of perseverance paying off. For patients requiring complex cardiac care, it marks renewed hope that advanced life-saving procedures can increasingly be accessed at home.
