Latest news with #openheartsurgery
ABC News
30-05-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Palestinian children sent back to war-ravaged Gaza after medical treatment in Jordan
Family reunions are normally times of happiness and joy. For Palestinian mother Enas Abu Daqqa, any relief in seeing her children after more than two months away has been tempered with deep anxiety. Earlier this year she was evacuated from Gaza to Jordan along with her baby daughter Niveen, who desperately needed open-heart surgery. "The treatment was excellent, she underwent surgery and the preparation was thorough," Enas told the ABC. "The doctors in Jordan, at a specialised hospital, were highly dedicated." Enas and Niveen left Gaza in March, while a ceasefire was in force. They have returned to an intense bombardment, with the family now living in a tent in "suffocating heat". "We were deeply afraid of returning, coming back to war and fear," Enas said. "We would have preferred not to come back at this time — a ceasefire would have made things easier." Enas also said her daughter, who was born with a hole in her heart, had been sent back to Gaza before her treatment was completed — a claim Jordanian authorities have denied. "I was not able to obtain her medical records, which are essential for continuing her care," she said. "Of course I missed my children, my family, my parents and the ones I love in Gaza — yet … I fear for my daughter. "I am afraid that her health deteriorates — she is not gaining weight, I fear she'll experience heart failure." Niveen was among the first of a planned 2,000 Gazan children to be evacuated from the enclave and taken to Jordan for medical treatment. Now those children have started being sent back to the war-ravaged strip, despite protests from their families. Some parents, such as Enas, also claim their children have been sent back to Gaza before their medical treatment was finished. The ABC first met Enas and Niveen when they were brought into Jordan in early March. It had taken the ambulances a full day's travel cross-country from the European Hospital in southern Gaza before arriving at the King Hussein border crossing in the West Bank. But relief was etched across the young mother's face, despite the arduous journey. Her daughter, then just five months old, was finally getting help. The return trip in mid-May was very different. "The situation was terrifying as we made our way back," she said. "We had to stop constantly along the road, I had no diapers, no milk for her, and not even water to keep her hydrated." Along the way, Enas received distressing news. Her husband and their other children were injured in an attack while waiting for their return to the European Hospital. Then they arrived at the Gaza border and were searched by Israelis, who confiscated personal belongings before letting them cross. The Jordanian government said it was "unfortunately true" that Gazans had been searched. Enas and Niveen were not the only ones sent back into a war zone. Mohammed Qatoush and his nine-year-old son, Abdul, were in the same convoy that returned to Gaza from Jordan in mid-May. Abdul lost a leg in an Israeli air strike and needed a prosthesis fitted by doctors in Jordan. But Mohammed said Abdul's new prosthetic leg was too big for him. "When we fit a prosthetic leg, it's meant to avoid causing any damage to his remaining limb," Mohammed said. "However, this prosthetic is 2 centimetres longer than it should be. "We informed the doctors about the issue, but they gave the excuse that he would grow taller." Mohammed said the doctors insisted the larger prosthetic would last four to five years without needing to be replaced. "This means he's essentially stuck with it for four years, which could lead to additional problems with his hips," he said. "They address one issue, only to create another that will need treatment." Worried about his son's wellbeing, Mohammed sought other medical opinions in Jordan. "I met with Belgian doctors who examined the prosthetic — they informed me that using this particular prosthetic could cause long-term damage to his joint," he said. "We were deceived — instead of allowing us to complete our treatment, they brought us back to Gaza where the European Hospital was bombed. "I am truly grateful to the people of Jordan for their kindness, but the government did not provide any support for our expenses." Mohammed and Abdul's journey back from Jordan was also scarring. Israeli security contractors searched them when they were re-entering Gaza, Mohammed said. "We were freaking out," he said. "My son was under the seat in the bus. "They stopped the Jordanian bus that was taking us — 10 Jeeps surrounded us, they were pointing their guns at us, the children were terrorised." Israel's defense ministry confirmed searches were carried out. "During the security check of Gaza residents returning from medical treatment in Jordan, some individuals were found carrying undeclared cash amounts exceeding normal limits," it said in a statement. "The funds, suspected of being intended for terrorist use within Gaza, are being held while the circumstances are investigated." Jordanian officials said it was made clear to Palestinians being evacuated that they would have to return after completing their medical treatment "to allow Jordan to bring more patients". Seventeen children and their escorts were returned in mid-May, and another 10 Palestinian children needing cancer treatment have been evacuated from Gaza since. "Jordan's policy is to support Palestinians' steadfastness on their homeland, and not to contribute in any way to their displacement," Minister of Government Communication and Government spokesperson Mohammad Momani said in a statement. "These patients were brought to Jordan and returned to Gaza under the same circumstances." Mr Momani said it was "completely false" to suggest the children were returned to Gaza without finishing their medical treatment, and were not appropriately supported in Jordan. "They all received the best medical care at Jordan's top hospitals, and their families were provided with the best possible accommodations," he said. "Some of these patients underwent delicate surgeries, and they are all in good health now."
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Fiji hospital promises Kiwis complex surgeries for 'a fraction' of the cost in New Zealand
Open-heart surgery at Pacific Specialist Healthcare Hospital in Nadi. Photo: Shalendra Prasad A private hospital in Fiji is promising "state of the art care" for medical tourists worldwide, and right now it has its eyes set on New Zealand. Pacific Specialist Healthcare (PSH) chief executive Parvish Kumar said that his hospital is now accepting referrals for Kiwi patients. Kumar told RNZ Pacific that they can offer complex heart, brain, and spine surgeries for "a fraction" of the cost of private care in New Zealand, and with no wait time. "We are clearing patients here in Fiji and in the region, and we do have the space and scope to do more. So I thought, let me just extend this also to my fellow New Zealanders," he said. "Maybe at the same time we could also give them about a week or two week holiday in Fiji." Kumar said that his hospital can offer coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), a common heart surgery, for around NZ$21,000. According to that would cost between $50,000 and $75,000 in Aotearoa if done privately. PSH also offers spinal cord decompression surgery for around $14,000 to $18,000, and major brain tumour removal for between $21,000 and $28,000. Private spinal surgery in New Zealand ranges between $30,000 - $250,000, according to PolicyWise. PSH Hospitals is Fiji's largest state-of-the-art 130-bed specialty private hospital situated opposite the Nadi International Airport in Legalega. Photo: PSH The added bonus: a week of recovery spent relaxing in Suva. Although these types of surgeries are free under Aotearoa's public health system, more and more patients are facing wait times exceeding four months. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of patients waiting longer than four months for treatment ranged from over 27,000 and over 37,000 from March 2024 to February 2025. Kumar said that he wants to make Fiji the premier destination for medical tourism in the Pacific, in line with the Fijian government's goals to improving both tourism and health infrastructure. Photo: PSH Group The Fiji government allocated FJ$451.8 million "to deliver quality health care services to Fijians" in its 2024-2025 Budget. In 2022, approximately two percent of Fiji's tourists engaged in health and medical activities during their visit, according to Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka. Gavoka said that he would like to see Fiji's health infrastructure develop in order to attract more medical tourists. "Fiji aims to emulate successful examples like India, which attracts many Fijians and Pacific Islanders annually for medical treatments." This comes at a time when Fiji's public health system struggles to meet demand, thanks to rapidly aging health infrastructure and a shortage of supplies. RNZ reported in 2024 that Fiji's mental health system needs to nearly double the number of beds available for mental health patients. Kumar told RNZ that the state of Fiji's healthcare system has nothing to do with his hospital. "We are independently and privately funded." He said that he receives no funding from the government, but is currently pushing for tax relief. "In any country, the private system can always spearhead or fast-track development compared to the public system, because the public systems normally have a lot of bureaucracy and red tape." Dr Sarah Fairley, Medical director, Kia Manawanui Trust Photo: Kia Manawanui Trust However, doctors in New Zealand are generally skeptical about medical tourism. Dr Sarah Fairley, cardiologist and medical director of the Kia Manawanui Trust, told RNZ that PSH's offers seem too good to be true. "I think this is probably the first time that I have seen, and certainly my colleagues have seen medical tourism related to cardiac surgery." "I think people should really embark on this with an abundance of caution." Dr Fairley said that she believes most doctors would steer away from recomending that their patients go overseas, especially when it comes to the heart. A direct flight from New Zealand to Suva can take anywhere between 3 to 5 hours. That is enough time in the air, Dr Fairley said, for significant health risks to present post-surgery. "if you've had cardiac surgery where you've had a surgeon that puts an incision in your chest, you have to have a cut in your breast bone or your sternum to get to the heart, and that's essentially a fracture" That would increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot in a deep vein. "I think certainly even a three hour flight in my head would be not without risk from a DVT point of view." "What is the cost of emergency evacuation or repatriating you back to New Zealand, where that can be managed?" Kumar said that, at the end of the day, a New Zealand doctor has to sign off on a patient coming in order for his hospital to accept them. "After the surgery has been done, then we'll give them the clearance and then they can fly back." In response to Dr Fairley's comments, Kumar said that PSH uses a team trained in advanced countries. "What we did was to simply recruit the same heart surgeons that the advanced hospitals in India were utilising, and together with the surgeon, we also recruited the support team from operating theatre staffs to ICU and recovery staff." "Our cardiac department has had an excellent 100% success rate and we are very proud of this. "While the NZ health system does provide open heart procedures for free to its residents/citizens, patients who are not that critical many times end up waiting to get the procedure done." Ultimately, that failure of Aotearoa's public health system to meet demand is the reason why this conversation is necessary, Dr Fairley said. "This is a reflection of the fact that the current system is failing lots of our patients." "There may be people that are getting into this position where they're desperate, I think fundamentally, that's the opportunistic thing about health care overseas."
Health Line
06-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Medicare and Open-Heart Surgery: Is there Coverage?
Open-heart surgery is a general term that refers to any surgery where a surgeon accesses the heart by opening the chest. They'll make an incision in your chest and then cut through the breastbone and spread your ribs. Open-heart surgery treats a range of heart conditions, such as: heart failure heart valve disease arrhythmias aneurysms coronary artery disease Medicare Part A coverage Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital care. This means it will cover the open-heart surgery itself. Part A will also cover your inpatient pre- and post-op care, including: semiprivate room meals general nursing medications you receive while in the hospital any other hospital services or supplies as part of your inpatient stay »Learn more: Medicare Part A Medicare Part B coverage After open-heart surgery, you may require cardiac rehabilitation. If this is the case, then Medicare Part B will typically cover these programs. You may require cardiac rehabilitation after surgeries like coronary artery bypass and a heart valve repair or replacement. Cardiac rehabilitation services typically include: exercise a program to reduce cardiac risk factors, such as nutrition counseling psychosocial assessment of mental health and emotional needs individualized treatment plan outcome assessment »Learn more: Medicare Part B Medicare Advantage coverage Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative to Original Medicare (parts A and B) that's provided by Medicare-approved private insurance companies. Medicare Advantage plans must provide the same coverage as Original Medicare. This means Medicare Advantage will also cover open-heart surgery. Cost of open-heart surgery with Medicare The cost of the surgery with Medicare Part A comes with out-of-pocket expenses. The Part A deductible is $1,676. After the deductible is met, you're responsible for paying the following copayments based on how long you're in the hospital: Days 1 to 60: $0 after deductible is met Days 61 to 90: $419 per day Days 91 to 150: $838 while using lifetime reserve days After day 150: total cost Part B coverage also has a deductible of $257 in 2025. After this amount is met, you're responsible for 20% of the Medicare-approved costs for cardiac rehabilitation if you receive it in a doctor's office. If you receive cardiac rehabilitation in an outpatient hospital setting, you'll also be responsible for paying the hospital copayment.
