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Call for proposals to be a pilot site for CSIA-supported programmes

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS), the

European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS),

the Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

(ASCVTS), the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and the

World Heart Federation (WHF) jointly oversee an alliance

that was charged with evaluating, endorsing and working

with potential sites in low-income countries to increase access

to sustainable cardiac surgery with particular emphasis on

rheumatic heart disease.

CSIA will initially select three pilot sites: one in West

Africa, one in southern/East Africa and one in Asia, where

local cardiac surgery, independent from fly-in missions,

has been established but resource constraints severely limit

the surgical capacity. CSIA sees itself as a facilitator of a

site-specific partnership soliciting donor support as well as

staff training, with the goal of increasing the delivery of

cardiac surgery on the basis of local capacity. CSIA will

also facilitate the establishment of a collaborative research

partnership with a tertiary institution of a high-income

country. Central to such initiatives is a strongly motivated

initiator/champion that can be a health professional, a health

manager, an institution or a government.

Once local consensus has been obtained, proposals need

to include a clear analysis and projection of need supported

by the following documents.

1. A ‘project development plan’ that lays out the financial

and organisational details of the current cardiac surgical

capacity as well as proposed growth curve over the next

five years (e.g. 50 to 200 cases annually) with clear distinc-

tion between existing local commitments and the gap that

is sought to be closed by involving CSIA members and

institutions.

2. Clear current staff establishment, showing the limits of

capacity of the existing team and the needs arising from

growth, highlighting the time plan when training needs to

commence of further doctors/nurses/perfusionists, and,

again, the local contribution to these needs versus the gap

requested to be closed with CSIA assistance.

3. A strong letter of intent by the local ‘initiator’ explaining

why he/she thinks that the site should qualify for CSIA

support, and a statement that he/she will be the person(s)/

organisation interacting with the CSIA and driving the

process on the ground with passion and commitment.

4. Written commitment by a local authority (local govern-

ment or city council, ministry of health, etc) that they

support the programme within the envisaged scope and

guarantee their part for sustainability, including specific

portions of the programme for which they will guarantee

support.

5. A written commitment by the institution to be ‘enabling’

regarding hospital space (ICU, ORs, wards) and staff

(doctors, nurses, perfusionists etc).

6. Statement of willingness to participate in a future cardiac

surgical registry and database to help improve the gap in

data available on cardiac surgery outside high-income

countries.

The CSIA will be accepting applications until 15 July 2019,

and all programmes are encouraged to apply. If not selected

for the initial pilot site, all applications will be entered into a

database for consideration at a future date.

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