Mount Camel Foundation, in collaboration with the National Cardiothoracic Centre (NCTC) at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) and Africa World Airlines, has successfully completed 22 complex cardiac device procedures for patients suffering from severe heart rhythm abnormalities.
The joint medical mission, estimated to have cost GH₵2 million, brought together healthcare specialists from the United States and Ghana, combining international expertise with local medical professionals to deliver life-saving treatment to patients from across the country.
The five-day mission focused on advanced cardiac electrophysiology procedures, providing critical interventions for patients who would otherwise have struggled to afford the treatment.
During a debriefing session at the end of the mission, Director of the NCTC, Dr. Kow Entsua-Mensah, said the success of the exercise was made possible through seamless multidisciplinary collaboration.
He explained that the mission brought together cardiac surgeons, cardiologist-electrophysiologists, anesthesiologists, cathlab, operating room, ward and ICU nurses, radiographers, pharmacists, medical laboratory scientists and support staff.
According to him, the coordinated effort enabled the team to overcome technical challenges while ensuring all patients recovered well and were ready for discharge by the end of the mission.
Dr. Entsua-Mensah added that both the Ghanaian and US medical teams see the success of the mission as the beginning of a long-term partnership aimed at strengthening advanced cardiac electrophysiology care in Ghana through direct patient care, knowledge transfer and local capacity building.
He further noted that patients who were unable to attend the procedures during the mission would still receive treatment at the National Cardiothoracic Centre when they were ready.
Among the beneficiaries was Juliet Asabea Awuku, who had been living with heart failure secondary to peripartum cardiomyopathy. She was given a second chance at life after undergoing a successful Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) device procedure.
“The immense financial relief of this procedure means everything to us,” she shared. “My family and I are profoundly grateful to the dedicated local medical team here in Ghana, as well as the diaspora specialists who traveled to support us. May God richly bless you all for your gift of health and hope.”
Dr. Kamel Addo, a Cardiologist-Electrophysiologist and team lead from the Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio, said the partnership with the National Cardiothoracic Centre made it possible to perform complex electrophysiology procedures, including Cardiac Resynchronization Therapies (CRTs), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs), and left bundle branch area pacing for under-resourced patients with severe heart rhythm disorders.
He also praised the professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by the staff at the Cardio Centre.
“The partnership with the Cardio Centre aided in tackling intricate electrophysiology procedures; specifically Cardiac Resynchronization Therapies (CRTs), Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and left bundle branch area pacing, focusing on under-resourced patients suffering from severe heart rhythm abnormalities.”
He further commended the team’s discipline, skill and professionalism, saying it enabled the successful treatment of all 22 patients within the five-day period.
“Beyond the clinical expertise, the mission was sponsored by the Mount Carmel Foundation which helped lessen the financial burden of the devices and procedures, ensuring that high-level cardiac care was fully accessible to patients who otherwise could not afford these life-saving interventions.”
