MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
Message to everyone who is interested in our volunteer activities
Dr. Noriyuki Haneda; President of Heart Saving Project
Mongolia, which is located between China and Russia, shifted from a satellite country in the former Soviet Union to a liberal economy in 1990, and has achieved rapid economic development since then. On the other hand, the gap between rich and poor has expanded significantly, and high unemployment and inflation have continued. Against this background, children who are socially vulnerable, especially children who have heart disease, tend to be abandoned, while in Japan,the disease is cured by 99.9% by surgery and catheter treatment. In 2001, we started traveling to Mongolia for free treatment activities.
For those who have participated in this activity in the past, we have received donations that are almost equal to or more than the cost of traveling at the same time as the activity. At the beginning of the activity in Mongolia, children with congenital heart disease tend to give up without help even simple diseases, but as a result of continuing this activity for more than 10 years, Mongolian doctors’ consciousness has changed as that children with simple congenital heart disease must be helped. In addition, the diagnostic level has improved year by year by experiencing both catheter treatment and heart examination.
In recent years, with the high economic growth rate in Mongolia, awareness of medical care is changing. In November 2012, the Ministry of Health of Mongolia asked us for advice on future maintenance and training of specialists. From such a flow, the future role of Heart Saving Project is more important than ever, and for the time being, it is essential to continue dispatching small groups and multiple teams several times a year, with a view to teaching local doctors. The goal meeting with local doctors ended in November 2012, and the tasks of each doctor became clear. It is no exaggeration to say that the coming years will be a critical moment for human resource development.
We would like to ask all of you who have participated in this activity and to contribute to the development of medical care in Mongolia together. In addition, I would like to thank you to everyone who has supported this activity financially until now. Thank you very much. We will continue our activities for a while with your understanding, cooperation, and financial assistance. Thank you very much everyone.