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The international team of cardiac specialists leaded by Dr William Noviсk arrived in Minsk on January 6. The team was invited by The Belarussian Children’s Fund and Children’s Cardio Surgery Center RTPC (Republican Theoretical and Practical Center ) “Cardiologia”  and will stay till January 12.

During the visit to the Children’s Cardio Surgery Center RTPC “Cardiology”, Belarussian cardiac surgeons together with their foreign colleagues carried out consultations and had operated children with the most problematic congenital heart disorders and cardiovascular system diseases. 7 children were operated on and more than 30 received qualified consultations from foreign specialists.  Cooperative work between Belarussian and foreign doctors made it possible for the majority of the children receiving operations to recover and begin a normal life.

The recent visit allowed doctors to exchange their experience and knowledge in the sphere of pediatric cardio surgery, the latest technologies and methods of carrying out the most difficult operations. Seminars and conferences for Belarussian doctors and nurses also took place.

The visit of the international team of cardio specialists was possible due to the sponsorship of the JV “Conte Spa” (trade name “Conte-Kids”). The company had paid all the expenses, connected with the visiting team in Belarus.

In addition , with the help of the  JV “Conte Spa”, special surgical gloves for carrying out the most delicate manipulations, milk formulae for the newborns, wipes, diapers, and other essential items for the operations, treatment and postoperative recovery, will be given to the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center.

Beginning in the year 2000, the project called “Children’s Heart” had been organized.  It was joined by the Ministry of Public Health of The Republic of Belarus, RTPC “Cardiologia”, Belarussian Children’s Fund and The International Charity Foundation “Children’s Heart” (Memphis, USA). Over the last period 21 visits by the foreign specialists were carried out under the program “Children’s Heart”. During these visits 443 children were operated on and approximately  2000 received qualified consultations. The team leaded by Dr Novick included specialists from 11 countries from all over the world, including  the USA, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Lithuania and others.

In addition to operations and consultations, an important direction of the program is training medical staff and providing new technologies. Together with the International Foundation “Children’s Heart” (USA) theoretical seminars were organized. In general 11 interactive seminars and 3 conferences have been held on topical issues in the sphere of pediatric cardiac surgery and resuscitation. Training courses for cardiologists and cardiac surgeons were organized in foreign clinics. For many years foreign partners provided yearly subscriptions to the leading medical periodicals, acquired books about pediatric cardiac surgery, brought necessary equipment for operating and resuscitation rooms, provided tutorials for the staff and paid for the personnel to learn English.  More than 20 physicians took part in the International congresses and conferences of cardiac surgeons in Australia, the USA, Portugal and Switzerland.

Since 2009 Belarussian specialists from RTPC “Cardiologia” have worked abroad together with the International team of cardiac specialists under the direction of Dr. Novick and thus received professional training.

The International foundation “Children’s Heart” through the Belarussian Children’s Fund gave the RTPC “Cardiologia” a device at the cost of $25000.00 for defining the level of brain oxygen saturation during the operation. The Belorussian State Medical College also received 18 dummies for studies valued at $1800.00. The anesthesiology and resuscitation department of the Belarussian Medical Academy of Continuing Education received 7 dummies valued at $2600.00. All the cardiac surgeries of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Center are provided with spectacles-microscopes and necessary instruments.

The program “Children’s Heart” of the Belarussian Children’s Fund also provides post operational rehabilitation and health improvement of children with severe heart diseases and cardiac rhythm disturbances in the Republic of Belarus.

Over a period of 6 years the Children’s Fund has organized a special health improvement month in a camp “Happy Hearts”. It is organized in the international rehabilitation and health improvement centre “Hope 21^st century”. This camp is for children after cardiac surgery and those with cardiac rhythm disturbance. Physicians, psychologists, teachers and resuscitation specialists work with these children according to a specially developed program. Specialists teach the children psychological and socialization skills that will help them in everyday life. After such a rest children can believe in themselves, in their strength and can say a firm “No” to their disease. Maybe for the first time since their birth feel what it is to live without a threat to life. In total the resuscitation course in the camp had 268 handicapped children.