PCRF sent last week perfusionist Ahmed Ismail from the Palestine Medical Complex to Aswan Heart Centre in Egypt for six months of training. This is part of the PCRF's effort to build a sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery program in Palestine for children born with heart disease. Ahmed is in Egypt through the support of the PCRF and Chain of Hope in the UK.
PCRF is the main NGO in Palestine providing life-saving cardiac care for children. Since 1998, over 2,000 children have had open-heart surgery through hundreds of volunteer surgery missions from all over the world. The effort to provide training for local staff like Ahmed will improve the ability of the Palestinian team to take over this program.