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Friends of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation.

Annual report of The Friends of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation-June 1st, 2022-May 31st 2023. Charity Registration No: NIC100026, Company Registration No: NI624534 and HMRC No: NI00292

Friends of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation (Save a Heart Nigeria) came into existence following a unanimous decision by the volunteers (16th Oct 2013) who had participated at the previous medical charity mission to Nigeria, setting up and initiating open heart surgery programme at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital as well as in other suitable medical institutions. This report covers our activities from 1st June 2022 to 31st May 2023.

Registration and compliance with regulations:

1.  A charity bank account remains unchanged with Danske Bank. The account name is Friends of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation Fund (Save a heart Fund).
2.  Company Registration: In compliance with regulatory requirement, Friends of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation is a registered charity company, limited by guarantee. Registration no is NI624534.
3.  HMRC registration for Gift aid and Tax purposes. We made no claim during this account period.
4.  Official web site for The Friend of Nigeria-RVH Save a Heart Foundation: Enthuse .com have stopped their hosting website business. We, therefore, moved www.saveaheartnigeria.org to another independent Host manager but retained our domain.
5. Account/Independent examiner: By Norman Elliott & Company Accountants. No 40 Railway Street Lisburn. BT28 1XP

Donations and Fund-raising activities: Without support and generosity of the wonderful people of Northern Ireland, we would not have functioned and achieved the success we recorded within the past 10 years. Save a Heart is immensely grateful for donations of both new and decommissioned but well serviced and usable equipment and cardiac surgery consumables.

However, with Covid-19 Pandemic interruption of all aspects of our normal life, our standard fund-raising schedules were seriously impacted. This coupled with the cost of living crisis made things more difficult to raise necessary fund. Nevertheless, few of our regular supporters continued to send in cheques. The income was further boosted by one of the Directors directing that all his income from private practice post-retirement be donated to save a heart fund. A sum of £38,636.93 was raised during this accounting period.

Charity activities during the reporting period. Three major events

1.  Setting up open-heart surgery at Regions Healthcare Group Hospital at Owerri to serve the people of South-East and South-South Geopolitical Zone in Nigeria(June- August 2022) More importantly was incorporation of paediatric cardiac surgery services in addition to regular adult program. This was made possible by my long- time friend Dr Vijay Agarwal from India. We were supported by the Imo State Government who part sponsored the bills. The need for paediatric cardiac surgery far outnumbered the adult by ratio of 2:1. It was most gratifying to see this unit take off. I visited the unit four times during this account period and 21 cases were carried out by the local team and myself.
2. Annual Sechuwariis Development Foundation Amichi in association with Save a Heart Foundation- General medical mission-August 23rd– 30th 2022 @ the Diocesan Hospital Amichi, Nnewi-South LGA. Anambra State. Over 2000 general medical patients were seen, simple test carried out and medication dispensed. Save a heart foundation donated 40ft container load of medical equipment and consumable to the hospital- setting up an Eye Clinic, Digital X-ray Unit and Dialysis centre. This medical mission has come to become an annual event. Next year, we plan to incorporate surgical procedures.
3. 3)  Donation of medical equipment: Two container loads of used medical equipment and consumables were shipped and distributed to our partnership hospital. Highlight was the commissioning of the Digital X-Ray unit, Eye Clinic/theatre and Dialysis unit at the Diocesan Hospital Amichi in collaboration with The Sechuwariis Development Foundation Amichi.

Financial report: A total of £38,636.93 was raised in this financial year. Total expenditure was £38,197.46. Most of the expenses went towards the support of our partners in form of

equipment and consumables, flight tickets and shipment. We considered it money well spent. Detailed account is contained in the annual account report.

Action plan for next year: Now that Covid-19 is receding, we look forward in hope.

1. Celebrate Save a Heart Foundation 10th Year anniversary with the big trip: affordable open-heart surgery. Team from Belfast will be joined by team from India and Dubia: Both adult and paediatric cases will be carried out- Target 25 cases in 2 weeks. Having achieved our twin goal of making open-heart surgery accessible/available and sustainable: this may well be the last outing of the save a heart foundation team. The local teams are now capable of independent existence.
2.  Continue collaboration with Sechuwariis Development Foundation Amichi at the annual general free medical and surgical mission at the diocesan Hospital.

The following pictural narratives tells the story of our activities in more details.