Wednesday’s schedule for the WCI Project Heart Uganda team was pretty similar to the previous day. I thought it would be more interesting to share a bit about the place where we are working and the patients that come here.
Project Heart Uganda is based at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) in Mulago Hospital in the capital city of Kampala.
View of Mulago Hospital and courtyard
Children born with heart defects travel from all over Uganda to see the cardiologists at UHI. When they get here they may wait all day on benches in a crowded hallway before being seen by the cardiologist.
Patients and parents waiting for screening echocardiograms
Patient Records Room
Some fortunate kids are able to get scheduled for corrective procedures with either the local Ugandan interventional cardiologists or heart surgeons. Many others wait until a visiting international team arrives, go to another country to have a procedure or never get treated at all.
UHI interventional cardiologists Drs. Lubega and Aliku
Prior to their procedures, the patients being treated by WCI are admitted to the pediatric cardiology ward.
Patients under mosquito netting in the pediatric cardiology ward at night
Their parents stay with them all day and night either sharing the bed or lying beside them on sheets on the floor. There are no guest beds here.
Patient and her father in her hospital bed
After their procedures, the patients are given care by the nursing staff and their parents.
Father feeding daughter after her cath procedure
Thankfully, most of the catheterization patients are feeling well by the day after the procedure.
Patient looking good less than 12 hours after her cath
Playing with WCI coloring book
Sometimes the doctors even get in on the fun time.
Pediatric intensivist Dr. Jen Schuette playing with post-cath patient
Our cath patients this week are some of the lucky few who get to have either studies to set up for future corrective surgery or therapy during the catheterization itself. It just reinforces the importance of the WCI mission to train more local physicians to help kids play harder and live longer.
