About 13,000 children with heart defects await treatment: ARCS

KABUL (Pajhwok): Health experts describe a heart defect known as a ‘hole in the heart’ as a congenital condition, urging families to seek medical treatment if they observe symptoms like breathing difficulties, bluish nails and lips, weakness, or fever in their children.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) facilitates free surgeries for hundreds of children suffering from heart defects each year.

Dr. Abdullah Yousafzai, a heart surgery specialist at the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children, explained that this congenital heart was an inborn disease and could be treated effectively.

Dr. Yousafzai identified several factors contributing to the development of a heart defect, including premature birth, matching blood types of parents, maternal age, tobacco use during pregnancy, and inappropriate medication.

Symptoms of the condition include persistent cough, breathing problems, poor growth, restlessness, fever, excessive sweating, poor appetite, and signs of malnutrition.

He emphasised the importance of timely medical intervention: “If you notice symptoms like bluish nails and lips or weakness and fever, consult a doctor as soon as possible.” While surgery is the primary treatment for serious heart defects, less severe cases may be managed with supportive medications.

The French Medical Institute has a dedicated a team trained abroad that treats both paying patients and those referred by the ARCS.

Each month, ARCS introduces about 50 children to this facility, which has the capacity to operate on around 100 children monthly.

ARCS: Nearly 1,000 children operated upon in last 6 months.

Maulvi Mudassir Hamraz, head of publications at ARCS, noted that the organization has been providing treatment for heart defects since 2008. Currently, 93 percent of surgeries are performed within Afghanistan, whereas previously, patients were sent abroad for treatment.

ARCS aims to treat approximately 1,500 children with heart defects annually. This year alone, 997 children have already received successful treatment. However, around 13,000 children are still registered and awaiting surgery.

Hamraz explained the referral process: children are examined upon visiting the ARCS, registered, and then scheduled for surgery based on availability.

Soraya, a resident of Shiberghan City, is currently at the French Medical Institute with her five-and-a-half-year-old son, who was diagnosed with a heart defect. After being referred to the hospital, she added, “A week has passed since his surgery, and now his condition is much better.”

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