Cardiac Program

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Cardiac Program

The cardiac program coordinates cardiac care in the hospital for both patients from humble background and those able to pay. The program enrolls patients for the Mater Heart Fund and ensures they receive the care they require which includes:

  • Cardiac presentations
  • Cardiac catheterization
  • Cardiac surgery

The program plans and coordinates overseas missions by visiting surgeons and cardiologists. It organizes and carries out Rheumatic Fever screening camps in the counties. The program also participates in the organization of the annual Mater Heart Run to raise money for the Mater Heart Fund.


Mater Hospital Cardiac Program Management Internship in Bratislava, Slovakia

The Mater Hospital Cardiac Program was initiated in 1990s by MMH administrators who identified a gap in cardiac condition management in the East and Central Africa occasioned by lack of capacity to diagnose and treat children with congenital and acquired heart conditions. Families that could afford the services sought treatment from overseas but vast majority of the poor families watched their children deteriorate eventually leading to premature deaths. The MMH cardiac program was established in 1995 and the first open heart surgery was performed in 1996.

Currently, the Cardiac Program’s main partnership is with the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava, Slovakia. This is through a Cooperation Agreement with the Slovak Agency for International Development Cooperation (SAMRS – Agreement no. SAMRS/2023/KE/1/5).

The MMH-SAMRS project activities include:


  • - Providing quality health and preventive care:
    • Diagnose a selected group of patients with congenital heart diseases from disadvantaged backgrounds
    • Operating on children with congenital heart diseases from disadvantaged backgrounds
    • Internship for members of the Cardiac Program Management at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava, Slovakia (NUSCH)
    • Realizing two missions of Czech-Slovakia experts to MMH

  • - Capacity building of local medical personnel:
    • Provide training to the local medical team
    • Provide training to local nurses
    • Sending experts in the field of cardiac care for children to MMH
    • Conduct seminars/workshops at the ICU during missions

  • - Provision of material and technical equipment:
    • Purchase of packages of medical equipment for the implementation of surgeries during missions
    • Purchase of medicine packages for the implementation of surgeries during missions

  • - Analysis of MMH Cardiac Program:
    • Analysis of the state of the Mater Hospital’s Cardiac Program in the areas of independent surgery, staffing and educational level, material and technical equipment financing
    • Further development of the plan of MMH’s independent Cardiac Program in the areas of independent surgery, staffing and educational level, material and technical equipment financing

In November 2024, Sr. Emily Wambugu (Cardiac Program Coordinator) and Dr. Kevin Rombosia (Director Medical Services and Chair, Cardiac Program) participated in a 10-day management internship at the The National Institute of Heart and Vascular Diseases, a.s. (NÚSCH, a.s.), Department of Paediatric Cardiology. NÚSCH is one of the most modern and best-equipped Slovak hospitals, the top institution of cardiovascular medicine in the Slovak Republic. The collective erudite experts work with the most modern technologies and closely cooperates with several important foreign institutions of the same focus. NÚSCH also fulfils the tasks of a methodical centre for the comprehensive solution of tasks of the cardiovascular program in the Slovak Republic and participates in basic and applied clinical research on cardiovascular issues with the subsequent implementation of research results into practice

In this management internship, Sr. Emily and Dr. Rombosia met with the institute’s top leadership and learnt about the clinical and programmatic care of pediatric cardiac cases in Slovakia. These vital lessons will be critical as Mater Misericordiae Hospital seeks to establish a cardiac diseases center of excellence in the very near future

The project Heart for Kenya 2023 is co-financed from the official development aid of the Slovak Republic.


Paediatric Cardiac Services

At Mater hospital, Children’s Heart Clinic, we provide comprehensive care for children and adolescents with heart and blood vessel conditions. Our goal is to understand the needs of our children and their families, and to provide the best care, our pediatric health system gives the Children’s Heart Clinic more resources and access to specialists to provide the best possible care for your child. Paediatric Cardiac clinics days are:

  • Monday & Tuesday 9:00 am
  • Thursday 11:00 am

A dedicated team of specialist: Pediatric Cardiologists and Cardiac Nurses offers preventive, promotive, and curative and rehabilitation management in matters related to cardiac care. Counseling on life style modificated and treatment adherence is also offered at the clinic and by the nutritionist.

Examination And Tests Done Are:

  • Echocardiogram
  • Electrocardiography
  • Chest X-Ray
  • Full Haemogram
  • Blood Group

Adult Cardiac Services

The specialist heart clinic is fully equipped to diagnose and treat a variety of cardiovascular and heart diseases such as coronary heart disease. We have an ultramodern facility with state-of-art medical equipment to offer the best diagnostic and therapeutic options that are tailored to different needs of the patients. Cardiac clinics days are:
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 8.00am

Examination and tests offered include:

  • Cardio-metabolic risk assessment
  • Electrocardiography (ECG)
  • Trans-oesophageal Echo (TEE)
  • Ambulatory Electrocardiography (Halter Monitor)
  • Exercise electrocardiography (Stress testing)
  • Ambulatory Blood pressure
  • Test to diagnose CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD)

Healthy heart, healthy you.

Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (CATH-LAB)

Cardiac catheterization is a procedure used to diagnose and treat certain cardiovascular conditions. We have an ultramodern facility with state-of-art medical equipment to offer the best diagnostic and therapeutic options that are tailored to different needs of the patients. At the Mater hospital, we have a state of the art cardiac catheterization laboratory, with qualified, competent team of cardiologist, cardiac nurses, radiographers, anaesthetist team to ensure the procedures are successfully. The unit operates on a 24hour base, always standby in case of emergency or eventuality. Procedures offered at the cathlab are:

  • Coronary angiography (Heart catheterization)
  • Coronary angioplasty (PTCA/PCI)
  • Pacemaker’s insertion and programming
  • Balloon Valvuloplasty
  • Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter insertion
  • Electrophysiology studies (EPS) and Ablation

Take care of your heart, don’t let it fall apart.