NPO HEART SAVING PROJECT

The activities of the Heart Saving Project in Mongolia in May 2024

We were carried out by two teams: the “Dontogovi/Gobisumbel District Examination Team” and the “Catheterization Team 1.” A total of nine members from Japan gathered at the check-in counter at Narita Airport Terminal 2 on May 2nd (Thursday) before departing (one person from the secretariat arrived in Mongolia one week early).
We arrived in Ulaanbaatar just before 7pm, and when we left the airport, we were greeted by a beautiful sunset. The temperature is so refreshing that it would be a bit chilly to wear just one long sleeve. After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, all the medical examination and catheterization teams had dinner together. This time we stayed at Ulaanbaatar Hotel. After dinner, we rented a conference room at the hotel and held a meeting about our activities, and the day ended.

Treatment and Training

The next day, May 3rd (Friday), after seeing off the medical examination team’s departure for the countryside early in the morning, the team moved to the National Maternal and Child Health Center of Mongolia and began our activities. We performed echo diagnosis on patients who had been waiting since the morning until around 3:00 pm, including a lunch break, and then performed catheter treatment on three patients.

Saturday, May 4th. On the second day, we performed catheter treatment for a total of 6 patients throughout the day. Additionally, after the treatment was completed, we held a study session on balloon catheters for Mongolian doctors.

Sunday, May 5th. On the third day, we started catheter treatment in the morning for a total of four cases, and at the same time, we conducted rounds for patients who had undergone treatment on the first and second days. After the catheterization, we all held a three-day conference, and then we had a group of young Mongolian doctors gather for a classroom lecture on two topics: transesophageal echocardiography and atrial septal defect closure. Both the conference and classroom lectures included an active Q&A session, with everyone listening intently.

After that, we left the hospital just after 5:00 in the evening and headed to Nalaikha on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, where we met up with the medical examination team who had returned from local medical examinations and had a horseback riding experience near Kameishi, a tourist spot. For three days after arriving in Mongolia, I only went back and forth between the hospital and the hotel, so I was able to briefly experience the Mongolian atmosphere. after that. While having dinner at a restaurant near the airport, we reported on each other’s team’s activities over the past three days.
The next day, the 6th (Monday), everyone departed for home on Mongolian Miat Air, which departed at 7:45 a.m.

During the three days of activities at the Maternal and Child Health Center, the total number of ultrasounds was 89 (85 on the first day, 4 on the second day), and the number of catheters was 13, of which 10 were treatment catheters, 2 PDA, 1 PS, 7 ASD, and 3 were test catheters. There were 3 cases on the first day, 6 cases on the second day, and 4 cases on the third day.
This year’s members included one medical student in the catheterization team and one medical student in the local medical examination team, and they were very active in creating an atmosphere in which the children, who tend to be nervous, could relax through interaction.Thank you very much to everyone who cooperated with our activities and to everyone who supported us with donations.
We would also like to thank all the volunteers from both Japan and Mongolia who participated in the activities. And thank you very much.