Czech surgeons saving lives of Jordanian, Syrian cardiac patients

AMMAN — Five-year-old Ajmal Fayez might not have been able to undergo the cardiac operation she needed if it were not for the Czech government’s MEDEVAC 

programme in the Kingdom.

"I was so scared that my daughter would not receive the surgery needed to save her heart, but now she is in excellent condition," the girl's mother said.

Like Ajmal, six-month-old Yousef Khateeb also underwent cardiac surgery this week, which lasted for three-and-a-half hours.

"I am very relieved and grateful to the surgeons," the infant's father told The Jordan Times shortly after his son's surgery finished on Wednesday.

Another six to eight children are on the operation list for paediatric cardiologists Tomáš Tláskal and Petr Bukovsk at Al Khalidi Medical Centre as part of the MEDEVAC programme's fifth mission to operate on young Jordanians and Syrians.

Tláskal told The Jordan Times that the cooperation with "good teams of Jordanian professionals" is crucial to the success of the mission, citing a "different, yet high level medical protocol" in Jordan.

He highlighted the significance of operating on children at a young age, as long-term results are better if cardiac patients are less than one year old, adding that some of the children benefiting from this medical campaign are a few years older.

"All the children needed these surgeries, and some of them have cases of re-operation… it is extremely important for such missions to continue in all medical fields," Tláskal said.

Bukovsk noted that all the surgeries in this mission are medium in complexity for children of an average age of three. 

"This mission is the only hope for families of the children, who suffer or die after some time if they do not undergo the operations," he told The Jordan Times, adding that no other international mission to Jordan performs paediatric cardiology surgery.

However, these patients will require follow up procedures and post-surgery examinations, according to Bukovsk.

The MEDEVAC programme, which is now in its fourth year, has so far saved the lives of over 100 individuals, according to Czech Ambassador to Jordan Petr Hladík.

He said the programme, which is performing surgeries in Jordan worth some 2 million euros this year, targeted Syrians in the Kingdom during its first two years and was then expanded to help Jordanians as well.

He noted that the list of patients, which was prepared by consultant paediatric cardiologist Khaled Salaymeh, the Czech Republic's local consultant in Jordan and the UNHCR, took into consideration the medical, social and economic conditions of patients.

Another MEDEVAC
team is also performing operations at Al Maqased Charity Hospital.