This project is conducted by Heevie in cooperation with SIA & Med child Organizations, the support of KRG and Ministry of Health with the funding support of KRG, US Embassy in Baghdad. Two missions have been conducted from November 2008 - May 2009 in Erbil and Duhok. The Project aimed at developing the skills of local Doctors by training them during the operations made for pediatricians in KRG.

The idea of the project was already existed and was implemented in smaller level. The project proposal has been presented to RRT in Erbil and financed by them in cooperation with Italian doctors who expressed their readiness to work as volunteers.

Coordination with Heevie and with Italian Doctors was via SIA, IME and Med Child Organizations; American Embassy has supported and financed the project.

This has given the opportunity for local inhabitants to get benefits from the Italian Medical team and made lot of poor families to get treatment for their kids for free and prevented them travelling abroad and neighboring countries for treatment.

The local Doctors were involved in the whole process and have had the opportunity to learn the new techniques of examining and decision making besides learning the new techniques of operating pediatric patients.

This project has been welcomed warmly by local authorities and health authorities who have expressed their readiness for all types of cooperation for making the project goals achieved successfully. Local Health Authorities has emphasized many times by Minister of Health and Director Generals of Health that the project was a great opportunity for local doctors to gain new information and techniques from Italian Doctors. Iraq generally lacks for good techniques of treating pediatric cases.

It has been clarified for all patients and their families that the project has been financed and supported by US Government and was a joint effort in coordination with Italian Organizations, Doctors and Local Authorities in KRG.

This project has drawn the attention of local media who covered almost all the activities of the medical team and made many interviews with Italian and local doctors. Parents and families of the patient kids have expressed their great thanks and gratitude to all who have made this project reality.

 The project has encouraged Italian Organizations and Doctors to encourage the Italian Hospitals which they work for to take some patients and make surgical operations for them and carry out all the expenses.  This project has motivated many local doctors to pressurize the local health authorities to pay more attention to this field and bring new techniques and devices.

Achievements of the project:

The total conducted operations were 90 performed from Nov. 2008 – May 2009 as follows:

41 Heart Surgery Operations, 46 pediatric surgeries, 3 Neurological surgeries and examining more than 937 patients, training 73 Local medical staff and Doctors trained on the job in Kurdistan, 15 Patients have been sent to Italy. 
 

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