Eight indigent Negrense children with complex heart conditions are getting a new lease on life after undergoing surgeries through “Project Paglaum (Hope),” a partnership between the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) based in this city.

The patients, aged 6 years to 15 years, are the beneficiaries of the project’s third cardiovascular surgical mission held on June 24-25.

They are among the 26 adult and pediatric beneficiaries of the missions in Negros Occidental, including this highly-urbanized city, which began last year.

Hospital chief Dr. Julius Drilon said Project Paglaum shows the commitment of CLMMRH to fulfill its mandate from the Department of Health (DOH) as a designated cardiovascular center under Department Order 2021-0001.

“This initiative ensures that cardiovascular services are available, accessible, and affordable to the people of Negros,” Drilon said in a press conference.

The latest mission is part of a four-phase multi-year development plan to develop CLMMRH as a regional heart center, said Dr. Juliet Balderas, PHC deputy executive director for medical services.

“Under the Regional Heart Center Development Program, the CLMMRH is ready to become a full-blown heart center,” she added.

In this week’s cardiovascular surgical mission, the pediatric patients are from the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Kabankalan, who have been diagnosed with complex heart conditions, such as ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and tetralogy of Fallot.

It marks the first time that tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four congenital heart defects, has been addressed in Negros Island.

The PHC’s collaboration with the CLMMRH aims to capacitate regional hospitals to decentralize cardiovascular surgeries and interventions from the PHC to the provinces in compliance with the implementing rules and regulations for Republic Act 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Center Act.

Phase 1 of Project Paglaum began with two pacemaker surgeries in April and May 2021.

The first surgical mission followed from May 29 to June 2 last year. It kicked off with the PHC and the CLMMRH signing a memorandum of agreement for the latter’s training and preparation as a regional heart center.

The initial batch of beneficiaries were 13 adults and children, eight of whom underwent open-heart surgeries while five others went through closed-heart surgeries.

During the second mission from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, five patients with coronary artery diseases underwent a coronary artery bypass graft procedure.

All patients in the two missions were discharged improved and well, according to the CLMMRH. (PNA)