Surgery at Robert Reid Cabral´s Children´s Hospital

Surgery at Robert Reid Cabral´s Children´s Hospital
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  9/16/2011

Children from different areas around the country will undergo surgery for various illnesses ranging from ear operations, congenital heart disease, pulmonary valve stenosis and cardiovascular problems, such as aortic valve stenosis, among others.

Speaking to a group at the hospital, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández said the Office of the First Lady (DPD in Spanish) was very pleased to have the opportunity to support an initiative like this one because it involves improving health in the Dominican Republic.

As a result of a signed agreement between the Office of the First Lady, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández and the International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF), cardiology specialists will begin a series of surgical interventions in the Robert Reid Cabral Children´s Hospital which will benefit children from low income families.

Speaking to a group at the hospital, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández said the Office of the First Lady (DPD in Spanish) was very pleased to have the opportunity to support an initiative like this one because it involves improving health in the Dominican Republic. She stressed that the health of children is especially important so that we can have happy and healthy citizens contributing to the country´s future.

She added that during these periods of surgical operations, the DPD got close to various international health institutions which also performed surgical interventions in the area of Orthopedics. One such group is the Fundación Sol whose members visited the DR on 64 occasions and carried out 400 operations and 690 medical consultations.

Agregó que han realizado operativos con el Hospital for Special Surgery, con el Bambinio Gesú, de Italia, y con el Montesiore Medical, con el cual tienen previsto firmar un acuerdo para capacitar el personal de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos de este hospital. “Mis esfuerzos se han concentrado aquí en el Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, pero igual damos apoyo y llegamos a todos los hospitales del país”, destacó.

Doctor William Novick, medical director of the US-based International Children’s Heart Foundation ( ICHF), said that one of the goals of the Foundation is not just to come here, operate then leave but to train doctors and leave behind the capacity and  technology in the hospital so the doctors can do follow-up with the patients

“What we want to do is, working with the DPD, start a cardiology program for children in this hospital and make it into a specialized Cardiology Center for children,” said Dr. Novick.

Director of the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children´s Hospital, Doctor Emilio Mena Castro, welcomed the international guests and also thanked Mrs. Margarita Cedeño de Fernández. He said that, thanks to her, the hospital has the spectacular heart surgical infrastructure that is has.

Dr. Mena Castro added that this agreement with the DPD has served to provide the hospital with the means to treat congenital heart illnesses in the Dominican Republic among the country´s most vulnerable population: its children.

Details on the Surgery Visits

Throughout the heart surgery visits, doctors will be carrying out operations on different illnesses and conditions. Among the surgeries that will be performed are the following: three cases of inter-ear communication; one case of inter-ear communication with pulmonary valve stenosis; two cases of congenital heart disease; two cases of inter-ventricular communication and one case of aortic valve stenosis.  The medical processes will also include one patient with an inter-cardiac mass by extension from a malignant abdominal tumor which has already been treated successfully with chemotherapy.

The children who will be undergoing surgery are between 10 months and 16 years-of- age and come from La Romana, San Juan Maguana, Barahona, Haina, Santo Domingo and San Pedro de Macorís. The surgical team is expecting to carry out between 10 and 14 operations, or about two per day. They will begin with the most complex, in order to be able to spend more time for post-operative care and observation.

In the United States, the cost of a surgery of this type could run up to $250,000 each. The Office of the First Lady is covering all the costs of these operations including the airfare, hotels, food and local transportation of the Foundation participating physicians. All materials to be used during the surgeries will also be covered by the DPD.

As part of the agreement, the medical team and ICHF volunteers will travel from the United States 4 to 5 times over the coming four years to carry out these surgeries that will save the lives of many boys and girls.

The intention of the DPD and the Children’s Heart Foundation is to benefit and save the lives of more Dominican children which is the reason this mission program is being undertaken at the Robert Reid Cabral Hospital. These arrangements will allow the local cardiology teams to benefit from training sessions through the Foundation and to acquire skills and knowledge that will allow them to move forward and carry out these types of operations independently.

International Children’s Heart Foundation (ICHF) certified that the Robert Reid Cabral Children´s Hospital has first class equipment and the latest and highest level technology to do these operations in which physicians from the United States, the United Kingdom, Nicaragua, Spain, Croatia and Dominican specialists will participate at the Robert Reid Cabral Hospital as well as other medical centers around the country.

Other agreements between the DPD and health institutions

Fundación Sol

Since 2005, the US-based Fundación Sol (Step of Life), has visited the Dominican Republic three time a year to organize orthopedic surgery rounds in different hospitals. Orthopedic surgery is done on patients, children and adults, who have problems that prevent them from walking. They have carried out 400 surgeries and have visited 690 patients on 64 visits to the DR.

In March of this year, the Foundation organized its 64th visit to the country when they went to the Armed Forces Central Hospital where 48 people of low income received operations on their lower limbs.

International Hospital for Children Foundation(IHCF)

Since 2005, the US-based Fundación Sol (Step of Life), has visited the Dominican Republic three time a year to organize orthopedic surgery rounds in different hospitals. Orthopedic surgery is done on patients, children and adults, who have problems that prevent them from walking.

The International Hospital for Children Foundation (IHCF), with its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, carried out two neurosurgery treatment trips to the DR in which 8 Foundation surgeons operated on patients with hydrocephaly, cerebral tumors, meningocele and inter-cranial cysts among other similar diseases. The operations were done at the Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital.

Bambino Gesú Hospital

The Office of the First Lady, the Vatican’s Bambino Gesú Pediatric Hospital and the Italian Latin-American Institute (IILA) signed an agreement in 2008 to promote professional pediatric training programs for medical personnel, paramedics, nurses and support staff in the various health centers around the country, especially at the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital.

On two opportunities, specialists of the Bambino Gesú Hospital have come to the DR to perform surgery in the Plaza de la Salud (Health Plaza) Hospital which benefitted a total of 20 children who were suffering from cardiac malformations. Another seven children were transferred to Bambino Gesú, located in the Vatican, where they were operated on free of charge. The DPD covered all travel costs for the children and their families.