Save a Heart Nigeria project in Northern Ireland: saveaheartnigeria.org.uk is an international medical humanitarian organization created by “TEAM NIGERIA”: volunteers from the cardiothoracic surgery unit of the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast. We help hospitals with capability in achieving self-sufficiency in surgical treatment of congenital and structural heart diseases within the Nigerian Communities.
During our many missions, we offer open-heart surgery to all deserving patients, rich or poor irrespective of their ethnicity, religious belief or affiliation. We provide independent and impartial assistance to suitable tertiary medical institutions in Nigeria on development of affordable and sustainable open-heart surgery program.
We have helped University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital , Federal medical Centre Jabi, Abuja, First Cardiology Consultant Hospital Ikoyi Lagos and Regions Stroke and Neuroscience Hospital set up functional open-heart surgery units, thereby making access spread across the entire geopolitical zones within Nigeria. Many more centers are reaching out for help and we are working through the request the best we can.
At the present time, neither the Nigerian Government nor the country’s Social Service Agencies can cope with provision of adequate healthcare to the countless number of people in need of open-heart surgery because of limited resources, the burden and cost of management of communicable diseases that are still very common within Nigeria.
Our Team works in association with the other charity organizations doing similar work within Nigeria in areas of mentorship, training, and transfer of skills.
Motto: “Vise en Espoir”- Look forward in Hope. To do nothing is no longer an option.
We are motivated by the following quote: “ We cannot continue to boast about the number of we do, as if increased volumes somehow bestow increased virtue, when we alone have the ability to add 75 years onto the lives of millions of children and yet choose not to do so. We have an obligation as uniquely talented individuals to change the boundaries of our thinking, the boundaries of our influence and the boundaries of our efforts” by James Cox.
This is what it meant to a young doctor that participated at our first ever mission in Nigeria; “ Before you came, I didn’t know what to expect, I wanted to learn and I was ready. I felt you guys were too advanced and probably would have no time for us. I experienced the exact opposite; thank you for reaching out to us. Beyond anesthesia, I learnt a lot from you, you showed us humanity at its best, taught me to think, humility and devotion. I am no more the same. You lit a candle in me, and I’ll light others. I promise, I will try my best to be a better person and anesthetist. Thank you so much” Dr Ikem Okonkwo. Trainee Anesthetist UNTH.
