A new Department of Congenital and Acquired Heart Diseases opened in the Republican Scientific Center of Cardiovascular Surgery on April 16th. Doctors plan to carry out surgery operations in 1000 children with congenital heart disease every year.

The Department, which now operates in the scientific center of the #5 Dushanbe Clinical Hospital (Medgorodok), was opened with support of Caritas International.

The Department is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment and has 20 beds, head of the Department Ikrom Boltaev told the AP.

“This will let us operate nearly 1000 newborn babies every year. Currently, our team of surgeons consists of 10 experienced doctors who were trained in Russia and Iran,” Boltaev has said.

I.Boltaev himself carried out multiple operations in newborn babies.

“Once I carried out operation in a newborn baby whose weight was only 500 grams. The operation was carried out at the Bakulev Cardiovascular and Chest Surgery Center. However, we do not have specific conditions to conduct operations in children under 3kg. To do that, we need special conditions, incubator and other experts,” he said.

Ikrom Boltaev carried out more than 80 operations in adults and children, including newborns, in Tajikistan.

The doctor says every year 1.5000 – 3000 out of 200.000 newborn babies in Tajikistan are born with congenital heart disease. “In proper conditions we will be able to rescue up to 90% of such newborns,” he added.

Surgery operation in the newly opened department will cost at least $5000 USD.