Most Zimbabweans are unemployed and are barely managing to get the basics and officials say half of the people with heart diseases had died owing to the shut-down of heart surgery operations in the country in 2003.
The Heart Foundation of Zimbabwe says “heart surgery is complex and very expensive” and costs about R70 000 (US $4,000) per operation for an adult and around R 90 000 (US $6,000) for a paediatric open heart surgery.