‘This Mission Brings Hope’: Israeli, African Doctors Collaborate to Save Lives

(Shutterstock/Illustrative) (Shutterstock/Illustrative)

‘It is incredibly rewarding to see the doctors we trained in Israel now leading life-saving missions and building sustainable cardiac care programs in their home countries,’ says Dr. Lior Sasson, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

A delegation of Israeli medical personnel in Zambia is in the middle of a marathon series of life-saving operations on 25 children with congenital heart defects.

“We are delighted to welcome an international team to the National Heart Hospital. The exchange of knowledge and expertise is invaluable, and we sincerely thank Save a Child’s Heart Israel for their commitment to training both our team and the visiting professionals,” said Dr. Chabwela Shumba, Senior Medical Superintendent at Zambia’s National Heart Hospital in Lusaka.

The mission, organized by Save a Child’s Heart, an Israeli humanitarian organization, also brought experts from neighboring Tanzania for the open heart surgeries and catheterizations taking place from Dec. 16-20.

Leading the cardiologists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU specialists, technicians, and nurses are performing open-heart surgeries and catheterization procedures. Leading the effort are Dr. Godwin Godfrey Sharau of Tanzania, Dr. Mudaniso Kumani Ziwa of Zambia, both trained by Save a Child’s Heart in Israel, and Dr. Lior Sasson, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Israel’s Wolfson Medical Center.

“Too many children in Africa suffer and die from treatable heart conditions. This mission brings hope by enabling us to save lives and share knowledge, ensuring that children in Zambia receive care closer to home. Our Tanzanian team from JKCI are proud to be part of this important mission and share the knowledge and skills gained over our own 10+ year journey in pediatric cardiac care,” Sharau said.

In addition to the open-heart surgeries, a specialized team will visit Zambia to perform catheterizations. These advanced procedures allow for the repair of heart defects in children without the need for open-heart surgery.

“It is incredibly rewarding to see the doctors we trained in Israel now leading life-saving missions and building sustainable cardiac care programs in their home countries,” said Sasson, who has been training African doctors for 15 years.

“The specialized training they received at Wolfson Medical Center has empowered them to perform complex heart surgeries and train others, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond Israel. Witnessing the successful collaboration of these skilled professionals, who were once our trainees and are now leaders in global pediatric cardiac care, fills me with pride and hope for the future of children with heart disease around the world,” he said.

Founded at the Wolfson Medical Center in 1995, Save a Child’s Heart has saved the lives of more than 7,000 children from 70 countries and has brought over 150 local healthcare professionals to Israel for training.

Since 2017, the organization has worked closely with Zambia’s Ministry of Health to strengthen pediatric cardiac care in the African country. This partnership has led to the treatment of over 100 Zambian children and the training of numerous medical professionals.

“This mission represents the best of international cooperation and humanitarian commitment. Israel’s dedication to training medical professionals and sharing life-saving expertise underscores our deep belief in the power of partnerships to create a healthier, more compassionate world. We are proud to see this collaboration bring hope and healing to children and families in Zambia and beyond,” said Israeli Ambassador to Zambia Ofra Farhi.

Dr. Chabwela Shumba, Senior Medical Superintendent at the National Heart Hospital praised the international collaboration. “The exchange of knowledge and expertise is invaluable, and we sincerely thank Save a Child’s Heart for their commitment to training and equipping our team. This partnership is instrumental in building Zambia’s capacity to deliver world-class cardiac care and establish our center as a focal point in Sub-Saharan Africa.”