A team of heart surgeons is appealing for members of the public to donate blood for surgeries to be done on 35 children over the next three weeks.

The children, whose ages range between two and 17 years old, are currently suffering from a range of congenital heart defects and rheumatic heart disease.

The operations are being done free of cost through the sponsorship of United Kingdom-based cardiac surgeon Professor Madgi Yacoub and Chain of Hope UK; the United States-based Caribbean Heart Menders Association and the Jamaican Children Heart Fund.

Usual cost

The usual cost for heart surgery on children ranges between US$2,500 and US$3,000.

The first of the three teams, Chain of Hope, is slated to begin operating tomorrow.

The team, which will comprise local as well as overseas-based doctors, is led by consultant cardiac surgeon, Dr Roger Irvine, who is also the director for Chain of Hope Jamaica.

Dr Irvine told The Gleaner Power 106 News that a shortage of blood, due to the increasing number of violence-related cases, has affected the number of heart surgeries done.

He said about 140 units of all types of blood will be needed in order for the surgeries to take place at the Bustamante Hospital for Children and the University Hospital of the West Indies.

"On average, each patient that is done requires us to have at least four units of blood. In some cases, for example smaller kids, having blood is mandatory," he said.

Persons wishing to donate blood may visit any of the blood bank collection centres across the island.

Donors should inform the blood bank that the blood being given is for 'Cardiac surgery - Bustamante/University Hospital'.

Several overseas-based cardiac teams have been visiting the island since 1995 to conduct heart surgery on children free of cost.