KINGSTON, Jamaica — Three decades after launching its first international humanitarian programme in Jamaica, UK-based medical charity Chain of Hope is celebrating its legacy of transforming outcomes for children living with heart disease through a special anniversary surgical mission at Kingston’s Bustamante Hospital for Children, running from June 8 to 15.
Heading up the volunteer medical team is renowned paediatric cardiac surgeon Professor Victor Tsang. The multidisciplinary group, made up of specialist surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthetists, intensive care clinicians, nurses and perfusionists, will carry out urgent open-heart procedures for between eight and 10 Jamaican children born with complex, life-threatening cardiac conditions.
This 2026 mission carries unique historical weight: 30 years ago in 1996, Chain of Hope’s founder and president, Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub OM FRS, selected Jamaica as the very first beneficiary country for the young charity’s work. What began as intermittent overseas medical outreach has since evolved into one of the most successful and long-standing international paediatric cardiac care partnerships in the world.
Over 30 years of collaboration, Chain of Hope and its local and global partners have completed more than 70 medical missions to Jamaica. The programme has delivered direct care to hundreds of children living with both congenital and acquired heart disease, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for a permanent, self-sustaining paediatric cardiac care programme based at Bustamante Hospital for Children.
The partnership’s crowning achievement came with the launch of the island’s purpose-built Paediatric Cardiac Centre at Bustamante, opened in 2017. The facility, which houses a dedicated cardiac operating theatre, a specialised paediatric intensive care unit and a full cardiac catheterisation laboratory, was the first centre of its kind focused exclusively on children’s heart care across the entire English-speaking Caribbean.
Creation of the landmark centre was made possible through a broad collaborative funding and delivery effort, bringing together Chain of Hope, telecommunications firm Digicel, the Shaggy Make A Difference Foundation, Gift of Life International, Rotary International, Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, the National Health Fund, and dozens of other generous donors and partner organisations.
In the years since the centre opened, more than 405 life-saving cardiac procedures have been carried out for children through Chain of Hope-supported missions and partnerships, granting hundreds of children a new lease on life. Additional partner organisation Cardiac Kids has also run its own outreach missions out of the facility, extending care to even more young patients.
“Jamaica has held a special place in my heart since the 1960s, so it felt only natural that it would become the first country where we launched an overseas programme after founding Chain of Hope in 1996,” Professor Yacoub explained. “From our very first mission, our goal was straightforward: to make sure that every child born with heart disease could access the life-saving treatment they need to thrive.”
The Jamaica programme also occupies a unique place in the charity’s history due to its early connection to Diana, Princess of Wales, one of Chain of Hope’s first royal patrons. In 1998, Princess Diana planned to travel to Jamaica alongside Professor Yacoub to meet young patients awaiting urgent surgery, just months before her untimely passing. Her public commitment to the cause drew global attention to the gap in access to paediatric cardiac care for children in low- and middle-income countries.
Professor Tsang, who also leads the children’s cardiac programme at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, noted that the 30th anniversary mission carries extra meaning for the team. “Every trip to Jamaica is special, but this anniversary mission is truly meaningful like no other. We have watched extraordinary progress unfold over the past 30 years. The greatest legacy of this entire programme is not just the hundreds of surgeries we have completed — it is the local expertise, clinical confidence and long-term capability we have built up within Jamaica’s own cardiac care team.”
Beyond direct surgical intervention, one of the programme’s most transformative and lasting impacts has been its investment in local education and workforce development. Chain of Hope leaders recognised early on that sustainable local cardiac care depends on a skilled, specialised workforce, particularly in nursing. To address this, the charity partnered with Bustamante’s cardiac team to grow Jamaica’s specialist cardiac nursing workforce.
Working in collaboration with the University of Technology, Jamaica, Chain of Hope helped develop the nation’s first accredited dedicated cardiac nursing training programme. The 13-week credentialed module blends in-person and remote instruction, hands-on practical training, and clinical rotations for critical care nursing students, boosting the country’s pool of specialist cardiac nursing skills and addressing a long-standing national workforce gap in this highly specialised care area.
Emma Scanlan, Chief Executive Officer of Chain of Hope, said of the milestone: “It has been an enormous privilege for our entire organisation to serve children and their families across Jamaica for more than 30 years. Our volunteer teams have travelled thousands of miles, working side by side with our local and global partners, all united by one simple purpose: to make sure every child born with heart disease can access the specialist care they need to survive and thrive.”
As the charity marks three decades of work in Jamaica, it remains fully committed to supporting the continued growth and long-term sustainability of the national paediatric cardiac programme through ongoing specialist training, clinical mentoring, equipment investment, and regular medical missions. Working alongside its broad network of partners, Chain of Hope continues working toward its core vision: a future where every child born with heart disease can access the care they need, no matter where in the world they are born.