First heart surgeries on children performed in Cyprus

Cypriot children with heart problems have from now on the opportunity to be operated in Cyprus.

The first three heart surgeries were performed recently on Cypriot children at the Makarios Hospital in Nicosia with the cooperation of the Swiss team of doctors ‘Coeurs Pour Tous’ of Geneva.

Minister of Health Christos Patsalides told a press conference Wednesday that this development is very important and historic for the country.

“This is a historic development because for the first time operations of this kind are being performed in Cyprus on children”, he said.

According to official data presented by the Minister every year 30-50 children are being born in Cyprus with heart diseases and require to be operated.

Patsalides said that the Ministry has been so far undertaking part of the cost to send children abroad for treatment since there were no medical treatment facilities in Cyprus for those cases.

The annual cost for the state reached 680.000 euro, he added.

The Minister said that head of the Swiss doctors’ team, Greek children’s heart surgeon Alexandros Galagkos, submitted a proposal to the Ministry for the establishment of a children’s heart surgery unit in Cyprus.

Patsalides added that the government in focusing on this goal.

“We are very proud because we are making now a great step. We want to continuously upgrade our services in the field of health, to expand the cooperation between our doctors and scientists from abroad and upgrade our services to the citizens”, he concluded.