Eighteen patients are set to benefit from open heart surgery being conducted at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali.The exercise which began on Monday is an annual programme targeting both adults and children . It involves about 40 health professionals from the United States, and Rwanda.

In a statement sent to The New Times, yesterday, Dr Nathan Ruhamya, a Cardiologist, said seven open heart patients had been successfully operated on.This is a national programme considering patients with  Rheumatic and Congenital heart  diseases, recommended  by  district  hospitals ountry-wide, the statement said.The patients were from Kirehe, Butaro, Nyamagabe, Gatsibo,  Butaro districts  and  Kigali  City.