An Australian and Belgian team of heart surgeons will this November return to treat children suffering from heart disease.

Dr. Joseph Mucumbisti, the Head of the Cardiology Unit of King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, confirmed Monday that the screening of those to be operated will begin next week.

Mucumbisti said that a representative of the Australian team is expected to join their Rwandan counterparts in the screening exercise.

"They are coming back specifically to provide charitable heart treatment to children,” he said.

Last year from October to November, the team, with the support of Operation Open-Heart from Australia and Chain of Hope from Belgium, conducted surgery at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, saving 28 children and four adults.

Open-heart surgery involves stopping the patient’s heart and using a by-pass pump to do its work while the patient’s heart is operated upon.

In April, similar heart operations by US cardiologists were carried out at the same hospital.

The surgical treatment conducted by experts from the US saved 11 adult heart patients whom Mucumbisti attested were in good condition. He said the patients are receiving follow-up treatment at three major hospitals - King Faisal, Rwinkwavu and Butare.

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