Jordanian, Italian surgeons team up to save lives

AMMAN — Jordanian and Italian paediatric cardiologists and surgeons teamed up last week to perform surgeries on children suffering from critical heart conditions at the University of Jordan (UJ) Hospital.

A statement quoted UJ Hospital Director Ahmad Tamimi as saying that this cooperation is part of the hospital’s plan to develop services and expertise provided at its paediatric cardiology unit.

The Italian team, led by surgeon Jean Carlo Crupi from Bergamo Hospital in Italy, performed two “complicated” open- heart surgeries on children who were born with congenital heart defects.

“The Italian team visited the hospitals several times before the operations to evaluate the services at the heart unit, in preparation for inking a cooperation agreement in the future,” Tamimi said.

The Italian team comprised a number of surgeons, anaesthesiologists and nurses, in addition to Francesco di Marco, president of the Gift of Life Italy organisation, which is supporting the cooperation project.