A combined team of medical specialists from Mission Bambini of Italy and the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has successfully conducted 17 cardiac operations since Monday, 29th October,2018.

The 19 member team from Italy which has partnered with medical specialist from UTH is in the country for their Sixth Cardiac Mission and has since Monday conducted 9 open heart and 8 closed heart surgeries.

The surgeries have been conducted on patients between the ages of newborn to over 19-years of age.

Speaking when he briefed health minister Chitalu Chilufya who visited the patients and checked one who was undergoing surgery, uth senior medical superintendent, Dr. Clarence Chiluba expressed gratitude to the mission bambini for its support conducting cardiac operations.

And Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya says Zambia will now be conducted routine cardiac operations.

Dr. Chilufya says there are currently over 300 children on the waiting list with various cardiac conditions from across the country.

He says the development means that there is a transformation of clinical services and takes the country to another level in its quest to become a medical tourist destination for the region.

Dr Chilufya has however, stated that the country does not want to perpetually depend on the support of mission bambino to conduct the cardiac operations, and therefore it has been agreed that mission bambino will also be training local medical staff as it comes to conduct the operations so that local surgeons and medical staff can in future conduct the operations on their own.