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The Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery here also pledged to provide patients with free pre and post-operative care for up to 45 days.  The deal was brokered by Zimbabwe senior soccer team doctor, Dr Nicholas Munyonga who was in Sudan with the Warriors for the African Nations Championships.
The Warriors doctor, who is also the group co-ordinated healthcare executive at Premier Service Medical Aid Society, told The Herald that the deal means that selected local heart patients would now need to only worry about looking for their airfares to and from Khartoum.
A return ticket costs around US$1 900.
Dr Munyonga said the operations were open to any heart disease patients in Zimbabwe and he would – on his return home – start an awareness campaign.
The Salam Centre is run both clinically and administratively by EMERGENCY, an Italian non-governmental organisation that provides free medical and surgical treatment.
EMERGENCY runs major projects in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Sierra Leone, the Central Africa Republic, Iraq and Italy. In 2007, EMERGENCY opened the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Soba, a village along the banks of the Blue Nile about 20km outside Khartoum.
The Salam (meaning “peace” in Arabic) Centre offers surgery completely free of charge.
On Monday, Dr Munyonga visited the centre to tie up the deal and was impressed to find that it is a technologically advanced facility, built with innovative and environmentally friendly techniques.
The Warriors doctor attended one cardiac surgery session and also visited a Harare woman – Lairs Merged – who will undergo a heart operation this week.
Merged will become the second Zimbabwean to undergo free surgery here, having heard about the centre from a friend.
After meeting Salam Centre regional officer, Dr Eleanor Del Gaudio, Dr Munyonga said a co-ordinated programme will now see more Zimbabweans accessing the service.
“About a month ago I heard a colleague talking about a relative of his named Jacqueline who had been operated on in Sudan for free.
“The colleague gave me details of the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery and I then wrote an email to them. Fortunately they replied me and I indicated to them that I would be in Sudan (albeit on Warriors duty) and when I got here I called them and set up a meeting.
“They were very willing to accommodate me and I met them on Monday when they then agreed that I co-ordinate and facilitate for patients who want to be assisted. The first Zimbabwean patient who came here got in touch with them through the internet and with support from the World Heart Centre.”
He said the Salam Centre will pay for patients’ for between 30 and 45 days.
If the patients are below 14 years there is room for one accompanying relative/guardian.
The centre performs at least six operations a day.
Dr Del Gaudio told Dr Munyonga: “Your support for the patients in Zimbabwe will be crucial for us and the patients and we are looking forward to working with you. Once I receive the medical documents our medical board will evaluate the cases. In case of approval, the logistical steps are that all services within the Salam Centre are free of charge including food and lodging before and after hospitalisation.”