Tajik Children's Hearts Healed in Chinese City

Nine young patients from Tajikistan, aged between two and their early teens, recently received life-saving cardiac surgeries in Qingdao, China. These children were treated for complex congenital heart defects at the Women and Children's Hospital of Qingdao University.

All surgeries were reported as successful, with the children expected to move to regular wards for recovery. The hospital employed advanced cardiac procedures, including interventional catheter-based repairs and a minimally invasive technique involving a small incision under the armpit. A Tajik cardiac surgeon accompanying the children expressed admiration for the techniques and the potential for future long-term cooperation.

During preoperative examinations, Chinese doctors also discovered and successfully treated a large liver cyst in one child, caused by echinococcosis. This condition was addressed first to ensure the child's overall safety before cardiac surgery, which is planned for six months later.

This humanitarian effort is a result of the sister-city relationship between Qingdao and Dushanbe, Tajikistan's capital, and broader healthcare collaborations within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The program aims to address the significant waiting lists for children with heart defects in Tajikistan due to limited medical resources.

To facilitate care, the hospital's nursing staff learned basic Tajik phrases and used familiar elements like cartoons to comfort the young patients and their parents, fostering a supportive recovery environment.