Heart expert pleads for support

2007-12-04 08:17

Cape Town - A leading South African heart surgeon pleaded on Monday, the 40th anniversary of the world's first heart transplant, for more government support for medical research.

Professor Johan Brink, principal specialist in the division of cardio-thoracic surgery at Cape Town's Groote Schuur Hospital, was speaking at the opening of a refurbished transplant museum at the hospital.

He said one of the reasons the first transplant was performed at Groote Schuur, rather than elsewhere, was the "enabling environment" at the hospital and the University of Cape Town, which encouraged medical research and advances.

"Sadly it has become more difficult and the environment certainly less enabling for further medical breakthroughs over the last four decades," he told an audience that included Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and several members of the original transplant team.

"But we hope that the occasion of the 40th anniversary will highlight the tremendous positive outcomes of investing in medical research, medical education and training.

"And we hope that in the future the government will give more attention to the plight of academic medicine in our country."

Primary healthcare also important - Manto

Speaking later at a banquet marking the anniversary, Tshabalala-Msimang said critics should not be allowed to demoralise those who were working for an accessible, caring and high quality health care system.

"Events such as [pioneering surgeon Chris] Barnard's transplant demonstrate what can be achieved through courage, self-confidence and dedication to the task even with limited resources," she said.

It was important for health workers, teachers and researchers to remember these lessons from the past as they sought to build a better future.

Researchers in facilities such as Groote Schuur should remain tireless in their efforts to develop better treatments for diseases, to design new prosthetic heart valves, stem cell interventions for heart failure, and better health care delivery systems, she said.

"We must also ensure that, whilst we are developing excellent and groundbreaking interventions at tertiary level, we must also strengthen primary health care. Primary health care still remains the foundation of our health system."

A team led by Barnard performed the first-ever heart transplant on December 3 1967.

The recipient, Louis Washkansky, died after 18 days.

The museum, set up in the original operating theatres, is to be known as The Heart of Cape Town Museum.

It includes the preserved hearts of Washkansky and the donor, Denise Darvall, which at Monday evening's opening were on display in a glass case just above the table on which the glasses of celebratory champagne and orange juice were laid out for guests.

- SAPA