The 2-week 5th Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) mission to China took place on October 16, 2003 at the Hebei Children’s Hospital and at the 1st Affiliated Hospital of Lanzhou Medical School. This mission was a cooperation with U.S. Minnesota based Children’s Heart Link (CHL) organization. The medical team, led by Dr. Lior Sasson, assisted by Dr. Giancarlo Crupi from Bergamo Hospital, Italy operated on 17 children.
Dr. Uri Katz, SACH Cardiologist, examined over 80 children in both sites, together with local Chinese cardiologists. In Lanzhou, the SACH team was also joined by a cardiologist from the Fuwai Hospital in Beijing – the largest hospital in the world for cardiac patients.
Dr. Katz also gave a 3-hour lecture to more than 300 ultrasound and echocardiography technicians on the topic of fetal echo. The lecture included a live demonstration of the echo examination projected on a screen to the audience.
80 participants from all over the Hebei Province and the capital Beijing attended a 3-day Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS) course. Dr. Yoram Ben-Yehuda, Dr. Eli Gilad and Dr. Uri Katz lectured throughout the course with translation and other assistance from local physicians.
A number of potential candidates were interviewed for training in Israel including cardiac surgeons from both institutes. Returning with the team to Israel was Ms. Yanwa Wang, an Intensive Care nurse from the Hebei Children’s Hospital, who will be spending the next 6 months training under the supervision of Dr. Sion Houri at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Wolfson Medical Center.
Furthermore, 2 children are scheduled to come to Israel for surgery cosponsored by CHL and SACH.
The mission enjoyed wide press coverage in China including regional and national newspapers and national TV, including an article in the South China Daily Post – a Chinese Newspaper published in English in Hong Kong.
The Israeli Ambassador to Beijing, Dr. Haim Yrhoyada held a reception for the SACH and Children’s Heart Link teams prior to departure for Lanzhou.
Prof. Arie Schachnner, Director of the cardiovascular department at the Wolfson Medical Center joined the SACH team at the Hebei Children’s Hospital on behalf of the management of Wolfson. Discussions between Prof. Scachnner and Mr. Li Jiang, President of the Hebei Children’s Hospital took place during the visit establishing the commitment of both hospitals to cooperate in the future on an official basis i.e. cooperation between the Ministries of Health in both countries.