THE United Kingdom-based medical team ‘Chain of Hope’ returns to Jamaica next week to operate on 22 Jamaican children suffering from heart disease between November 8 and 13.

A Jamaican surgical team headed by doctors Lambert Innis and Roger Irvine will support the UK surgical team headed by Sir Magdi Yacoub.

However, the Jamaica Foundation for Cardiac Disease (JFCD), which has invited the UK medical team, has appealed for donations of blood to be used during the surgeries.

“The successful undertaking of the surgeries will require approximately 130 units of blood to be in place at the Blood Bank ready for disbursement to the Bustamante Hospital for Children,” the foundation said in a press statement.

The blood type needed are:

. O positive – 60 units

. B positive – 20 units

. A positive – 20 units

. O negative – 10 units

. B negative – 10 units

. A negative – 10 units

“The team headed by Sir Magdi is aware of the difficulties faced in Jamaica to get open heart surgery for children done and they have made a commitment to help in this tangible way, so we are asking the Jamaican public to also support our children,” said Beverley Dinham Spencer, president of the JFCD.

She said the Blood Bank has advised that all systems are in place to accept donations. Individuals or organisations in the Corporate Area wishing to participate can make donations this week at:

. the Blood Bank at 21 Slipe Pen Road – between 8.00 am and 3.45 pm;

. University Hospital – between 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 – 3:30 pm; and

. the National Chest Hospital – from 7.00 am to 3.00 pm on

weekdays.

Donors outside of the Corporate Area are asked to visit collection centres at the Cornwall Regional Hospital, as well as regional hospitals in St Ann’s Bay, Savanna-la-Mar, Port Antonio, May Pen and Mandeville from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm.

The foundation said most of the children, whose ages range from a few months to 12 years, have been waiting for surgery since last year.

Earlier this year the Caribbean Heart Menders Team from Florida in the United States and a local team of doctors performed open heart surgery on 12 children at the Bustamante Hospital for children.