Boy, 13, has heart problem
Childhood is no longer fun for 13-year-old Meagan Simeza from Ekwendeni in Mzimba who was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease in January this year and was subsequently referred to India for surgery.
According to the boy’s father, Happy Simeza, it all started four years ago when Meagan’s legs became stiff and he could no longer walk to school.
“My son can no longer attend school, his friends are now in Standard 8 while he is still in Standard 4,” said the father who works as a cook at Ekwendeni College of Health Sciences.
He said since then the boy has been on and off at Ekwendeni Mission and Mzuzu Central hospitals and is currently on daily medication.
The father said the medication is financially draining him.
Simeza said although his son’s case has been described by doctors as urgent, four months have gone with government unable to honour its promise to send the boy to India for medication.
“I write to support that he [the boy] has been urgently recommended for referral to India for cardiac surgery to replace a damaged mitral valve,” reads a March 28 2014 letter from Mzuzu Central Hospital to regional immigration office in part.
Simeza said the last time he visited Ministry of Health, he was told to wait for the National Budget as government had no funds to send the boy to India.
We could not independently verify Simeza’s claims with the ministry.
Meanwhile, the boy’s father is now asking for funds from well-wishers and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to enable Meagan travel to India for heart surgery.
