In December last year, a team of five doctors and three nurses from the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH) traveled to Samsung Medical Center in South Korea to receive specialized training in pediatric cardiac surgery for children and neonates. In Mongolia, the Third Central Hospital is the only facility performing open-heart surgeries, primarily for adults. However, while the Third Central Hospital provides essential cardiac services, its focus is mostly on adult patients, and the procedures for children and newborns are vastly different. Not only do pediatric cardiac surgeries require distinct surgical techniques, but the post-operative care needs are also specialized. This gap in expertise for children and neonates is where the NCMCH comes in.
The NCMCH intensive care unit is specifically equipped to offer the tailored care that these young patients require, unlike the Third Central Hospital, which is already overwhelmed by its existing workload and long waiting lists. As a result, many parents are left with no choice but to seek treatment abroad for their children. The training at Samsung Medical Center aims to bridge this gap, ensuring that the NCMCH can deliver the necessary, specialized care for young patients, without families having to travel overseas. This training in South Korea is vital to enhancing the capacity of the NCMCH, making pediatric cardiac surgery and post-operative care more accessible and effective within Mongolia, and alleviating the pressure on the Third Central Hospital.
On December 2, 2024, the first team from NCMCH traveled to South Korea, and the nurses who returned first, S. Batchimeg, B. Bayasgalan, and G. Sumyaragchaa, shared their experiences. Batchimeg, a surgical nurse in the anesthesia department of the NCMCH Children’s Hospital, mentioned that 24 surgeries were performed during their time in South Korea. She emphasized the meticulous attention given in Korea to ensure the operating room’s preparedness, including the careful organization of equipment and supplies such as oxygen, which are critical for successful surgeries. Sumyaragchaa shared how the training focused on handling post-operative care for children, highlighting the importance of teamwork and communication in providing the best care. She noted the stark differences between the post-surgical processes in Mongolia and South Korea, particularly in the structured approach to monitoring recovery and managing complications.
The surgeries themselves lasted at least 5-6 hours each, with two surgeries being conducted daily. After each surgery, the nursing team would convene to review the day's cases, discussing anesthesia protocols, post-operative care strategies, and the specific techniques used by the surgeons, such as how they managed pain control and ventilation during recovery. This debriefing process was crucial, as it allowed the team to reinforce and validate the new skills and insights they had learned, particularly regarding South Korea’s advanced, systematic approach to pediatric cardiac care, which emphasized precision and comprehensive recovery planning.
By establishing open-heart surgery for children and newborns locally, children requiring surgery will no longer need to travel abroad. Going overseas brings numerous challenges, starting with economic difficulties and visa issues. However, the ability to perform the surgery locally is crucial for the health of many children and newborns. The nurses expressed with confidence and a broad smile that they are ready and fully capable of helping children and newborns at NCMCH.
Currently, NCMCH is in the process of preparing the operating room for pediatric cardiac surgery for children and neonates, and it is expected to be ready by the end of this year. The task will be completed with support from UNFPA, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Luxemburgish National Institute for Cardiac Surgery and Interventional Cardiology.
