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Angela Seeks Heart Diseases Hospital
Angela Nyirenda says she wouldn’t want any mother to go through her own pain of losing a baby at four months to a cardiac condition.
Narrating her experience to stakeholders during the World Heart Day commemoration in Lusaka yesterday, the singer said her baby was born with two holes in the heart.
“My baby was born with two holes in the heart, but fortunately we learnt about it three weeks after he was born. We took him to the hospital after I realised that he was failing to feed and breathe. After undergoing some tests, we were told that the baby had two big holes in the heart,” she said.
Nyirenda said doctors at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital told her that her baby needed an immediate heart surgery.
“I was also told that my baby’s case was not urgent but immediate. So we followed the normal procedure which required us to register our details on the list of heart disease patients who were to be evacuated abroad for advanced treatment,” she calmly narrated.
“That list had over 300 patients, and my son was number 325, meaning there were other people before him and we were told to keep waiting for our turn to be evacuated. So I took my child to another hospital as I had difficulties believing that a baby could be born with a problem like that and I was told the same.”
Nyirenda said she did not have sufficient funds to evacuate her child and that she was forced to keep waiting hopelessly, while seeing her son’s health deteriorate.
“After some time, we were again told that we needed to wait for a certain committee that needed to sit for three months to approve whoever is going and while waiting for that, the baby died,” she said.
“On that Tuesday morning, the baby just started crying, and he was a kind of child who never cried anyhow. We tried to give him some medications we had been given to cool him down but nothing was changing.”
Angela added that in the evening, she decided to take the baby to the hospital, where his temperature worsened, and he eventually died.
“My baby’s temperature rose to 40 degrees. He started fitting and stopped breathing. That is how I lost my baby,” she said. “My concern as a parent is that if only we could have our own hospital that treats heart conditions…We need our own specialised medical staff and machinery that can treat these elements instead of waiting to be evacuated. Out of the list of 300 people, maybe only 10 would be evacuated.”
Angela urged stakeholders to contribute funds that would be targeted towards the construction of a heart diseases hospital in Zambia.
And speaking earlier, Vice-President Dr Guy Scott expressed worry at the brain drain in Zambia’s health sector.
He also emphasised the need to construct more health infrastructure that would accommodate more trained health personnel and attract those serving in other countries back home.
“There was a time when I had a health problem and I was evacuated and admitted to a South African hospital. When I woke up, all I could see were medical personnel from that country, so I asked if they had a Zambian nurse around to be attending to me,” Vice-President Scott said.
“To my surprise, about 20 Zambian nurses were brought to my room and that made me realise the high levels of brain drain going on in our various sectors. Our people are offering their much-needed services in other countries.”
Vice-President Scott also pledged his support towards the construction of an institute for heart diseases that some stakeholders were calling for.
Meanwhile, Zambia Medical Association president Dr Aaron Mujajati said about US$15 million was needed to commence the implementation and construction of the first phase of the Zambia Heart Institution project.
He said another US$5 million would be required in the second phase.
Dr Mujajati added that once established, the institute would be Zambia’s first hospital treating heart ailments.
He said establishing the institution required the participation of all well-meaning Zambians.
“We need about US$20m to start this project both at human resource level, infrastructure level, and therapy level and to raise that kind of money; we need everyone to participate,” Dr Mujatai said.
He observed that the burden of heart and other non-communicable diseases still weighed heavily on the country.
Dr Mujajati also said several people knowingly or unknowingly continued living with various kinds of heart diseases.
This year’s World Heart Day was held under the theme, ‘A healthy heart…a healthy nation’.
Posted by Editor
on October 1, 2014. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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kim
October 1, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Karma ,you stole someones Husband and she is suffering because of you , go and apologise to that woman.
leona
October 1, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Husband snatcher, home wreker, I have no heart for you at all. U deserve to be punished even more.
J J
October 2, 2014 at 2:47 pm
God have mercy on you!
Joe Bidden
October 1, 2014 at 11:42 pm
Was the baby home wrecker too? Wait until your own child gets born with such medical complications you will remember this TUMFWEKO article. Babies are born from alot situations of parents be it thru rape, incest, ubuhule, married, single, chigololo, burst condom, planned, unplanned, baby ‘yours’ but arent the father etc but are all innocent. This child’s death cant be a reason for one to celebrate, it will be you one day.
Levy
October 2, 2014 at 8:29 am
Well said. The baby was completely innocent regardless of the circumstances it was born under. Like Angela and everybody is saying, what we need is ti build a heart hospital and train enough personnel in this field. It is a tragedy to have over 300 people on the waiting list and not be sure of how many will finally make it to the hospitals outside the country. This is like being on death row!!!
Reuben
October 2, 2014 at 1:54 pm
You are very right. The child is innocent and I feel for her
wager
October 2, 2014 at 3:27 pm
wages of sin full stop…
CHIZ~MAN
October 2, 2014 at 12:14 am
Umwana wkayele bane,no matter what circumstances they are born from/into.
jukes
October 2, 2014 at 1:21 am
I pit her, and know the problems she went when the baby was still alive, coz my wife had the same problem, that you would most at times found yourself at the hospital. she was number 198 on the list yet she was getting worse worse. thank God she was sponsored by the company. k90 000 is not a joke. only maybe 10% of zambians can manage that. we need to just have our own medical centre that can treat cardic patients, we have alot resources than waiting for poeple to die,.
kakolwe
October 2, 2014 at 4:32 am
@Leona & Kim. You 2 sound like the swines that you are!! There is no such rubbish as “husband snatcher”, “home wreker”. Homes are wreked by the stupidity of the parties involved. The third party usually happens to offer an alternative. That child was in no way related to the said broken home. Stooopid whores you are!!
Food for thought
October 2, 2014 at 10:17 am
A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus… Remember? What did he say to those who wanted to stone her? He said “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Friends we’re all sinners in need of a savior… ASK Yourself does Jesus love you more than he loves Angela? No. He’s love is the same for us all… Let’s Love and not Judge… for loves covers a multitude of sin…
Food for thought
October 2, 2014 at 10:18 am
A woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus… Remember? What did he say to those who wanted to stone her? He said John 8v7 “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Friends we’re all sinners in need of a savior… ASK Yourself does Jesus love you more than he loves Angela? No. He’s love is the same for us all… Let’s Love and not Judge… for loves covers a multitude of sin…
uluse
October 2, 2014 at 10:23 am
@Joe Bidden well said, God bless you.
Judge Joe Bidden
October 2, 2014 at 1:10 pm
It’s sad we have Zambians who would celebrate the death of a child no matter how he/she was brought on earth. Thanks
Seven Spirits
October 2, 2014 at 11:00 am
Leave the poor lady alone,if she she snatched someoned husband that another issue between her and her maker,an innocent child died because of a heart condition that has nothing to do with marriage wrecking
wait until you feel the pain of losing a child then you will surely crap bricks and sweat oil you for your vicious and quite disappointing sentiments
former bemba
October 2, 2014 at 12:19 pm
who was the father if I may ask?
Rich Mans Wife
October 2, 2014 at 12:35 pm
That was very sa experiece.GOD Help mother zambia
Rich Mans Wife
October 2, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Sad experience
Czar
October 2, 2014 at 2:07 pm
The muppets who are calling Angela all sorts of names should realise that she did not force or rape that Moses Sakala. He willingly left his wife and so he is the one to be blamed. Above all, it is heartless and sinful to rejoice in the death of a baby. That is worse than what you are accusing Angela of doing.
hamp
October 2, 2014 at 3:29 pm
did she say moses was the father?
nana
October 2, 2014 at 2:10 pm
mmmmmmm husband snatcher is a bad word to use ,you two are women ,death celebration is worse sin on earth even God doesn’t want us to die instead you like it, wait until your husbands get snatched you will feel it infact I would have loved to know you personally so that I can show you real husband snatchers, the way they do it.if a man likes me and I treat him well ,he is having problems with his wife its not my problem mwamfwa…..my condolence angela may the boy R.I.P God loves you he will surely see you through we are with you in prayers take care much love.