NPO HEART SAVING PROJECT

 Twenty years has passed since Dr. Noriyuki Haneda, Dr. Kenji Kuroe, and Mr. Hiroshi Yano visited Mongolia for the first time to treat pediatric cardiovascular patients on October 3rd, 2001. To commemorate this, on October 3, 2021, the “20th Anniversary Online Event” was held, and Dr. Noriyuki Haneda gave a commemorative lecture. Let us introduce this lecture in three parts. The first installment will tell you about the first visit to Mongolia in 2001 and its activities.

First visit on October 3rd 2001

I am Noriyuki Haneda, the president emeritus of the NPO Heart Saving Project (HSP). I handed over the president to Dr Tomita in June 2021, while deeply appreciate all attendees of the 20^th Anniversary event of our NPO. Twenty years was long, though it has flown so quickly.  I had first visited Mongolia twenty years ago today, while I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I would like to look back twenty-years’ activity of the HSP showing pictures of past days.

This is Dr Enkhe, who promoted our project in Mongolia. Now, she is an Associate Professor Department of Pediatric Cardiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA. She had studied Pediatric cardiology with us at the Shimane University from October 1988 to 2003, when was in Mongolia.

 

 

This picture shows the Shimane University Hospital, which opened October 1979, located at the Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, 900km to the west of Tokyo. I had been at this hospital from October 1979 to January 2003, while had been the chief of Pediatric cardiology from April 1993, and promoted to the associate professor of the pediatrics in 1994. Although I moved to the private Doremi clinic 2km from there in February 2003, I have concurrently served as the clinical professor since April 2007.

 

This picture shows Dr. Kasuga (1920-2010), who was the first secretary general of the Nippon Mongol Association. He received the North Star Award, while put his own funds to manage the Orphanage named Temjin private school. He introduced Dr Enkhe to the president of the Shimane University through the former mayor of the Izumo City, Mr Naora who was his classmate at the old junior high school. This is the first human connection of this project. Anyway, Dr Kasuga, Mr Yano who is one of the founders of this project, and myself are neighbors in 2 km.

 

This is Dr Kuroe, Mr Yano, and myself at the Kansai airport departing to Mongolia with medical devices in just 20 years ago, on 3^rd October, afternoon, 2001.  The temperature in Osaka at that time was 27°C, which made us sweat.

 

PM 9:00, 3^rd October, 2001, Just arrival at the ULB airport where the temperature was 3°C. Dr Enkhe and her husband, Mr Orgil met us at the airport.

 

 

The apartment of Dr Enkhe’s older brother, where we stayed from 4^th to 12^nd, October, 2001.　I had normally stayed there until 2007.

 

 

Transporting devices to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH). 

Dr Jamiyan, who had studied metabolism and genetics at the Shimane University, and later became the division chief of metabolism and genetics at the NCMCH, carries devices.

 

 

The president of the NCMCH at that time was Dr .Choijamts.

 

 

A group photo with Dr Byambaa and Bolormaa, etc 20 years ago. 

 

 

Echo examination of the patient. There was only one quite old echo machine, which had been used more than 10 years.

 

 

 

As there was no cath lab at the NCMCH, we made a simple cath lab in the OR theater equipped with a portable fluoroscope from the first to the early half of the 3^rd visit.

As we did not have any graphic recording apparatus, we judged on the image of the instantaneous angiogram by all eyeballs.

 

 

 

PDA closing coils. At the beginning, we mainly used 0.052 inch coils, while optionally used Flipper coils.

The 6^th case of all caths, while 5^th cath as the transcatheter closure of PDA at the first visit. 1 year 7 months girl with body weight of 10kg. Her PDA was closed using two 0.052 inch coils, 8mm/8cm and 6mm/8cm.

 

A group photo with patients in the first visit. The arrow indicates the memorable first case. They gave deel to each one of us, three.

 

 

The family of the first case visited us 8 years later in 2009 with a bouquet and big rock salt. Exportation of such a big rock salt is prohibited, now.

 

 

Continue to PART.2 of 20th Aniversary Footprints of Heart Saving Project’s Activity