Six Missions by Italian Paediatric Cardiologists

Project location: Morocco, Casablanca
Project start date: April 2006 - Project end date: December 2007
Project number: 2006-25
Beneficiary: THE HEART OF CHILDREN

The Association "the Heart of Children Onlus" strives to promote the development of the pediatric cardiology and heart surgery in underdeveloped countries. Therefore it helps various foreign centres deal successfully with a wide range of heart pathologies, so that the highest possible number of children suffering with heart diseases may receive adequate care in their own country.

Pediatric heart surgery is still at its outset in Morocco. The need for medical care is therefore extremely serious for all children suffering with heart diseases, who are practically left to themselves, except in the case their families can afford the huge expenses of medical care in an advanced country.
The Institute with which the Association is collaborating in Casablanca is called "Les Bonnes Oeuvres Du Coeur". Its mission is to assist poor children with heart diseases. It is the first humanitarian heart pediatric Institute in Maghreb, and was recently inaugurated by His Majesty the King Mohammed VI. The startup is facing severe difficulties, due to the lack of apparels, the insufficient number and poor formation of the medical and assistance personnel.
The team from "the Heart of Children" has helped perform the first open heart surgeries, but it is crucial to follow up with regular missions.

The project co-funded by the Nando Peretti Foundation consists of periodical missions, every 4 months, to provide surgery and formation at the Casablanca Institute, on the part of a specialized voluntary team comprising one or two heart surgeons, an anesthesist, a cardiologist, a perfusionist, an intensive care nurse.
The mission requires 10 days, during which the team joins the local personnel in the regular hospital activity, does surgery, teaches classes, checks on the operated patients, and visits new patients.
At least 10 operations are accomplished and at least 50 children are visited during each mission; interventional and diagnostic catheterisations are also performed. It is essential that the materials and apparels necessary to accomplish these goals (oxygenators, valves, devices, drugs, consumables...) be donated to the Moroccan Institute.