A team from the Operation Open Heart International are in Port Moresby this week to conduct heart surgery on 11 children.
The surgery that would cost up to K300,000 per patient to go abroad is being done in the country at less than K10,000 a patient.
These patients undergoing operation this week are mainly from the rural areas who were screened last year and are only paying K30 hospital fee for the operation.
The team of 19 from Australia are assisting the local 12 team trained cardiac specialists to conduct lifesaving surgeries on children aged 2-11.
Operation Open Heart International coordinator Dr Russel Lee said the team began operating on Sunday and has so far seen four children go under the knife.
Dr Lee said their aim is to operate two children a day as they assist the local team who are the ones conducting the surgeries.
The local team leading the surgery includes cardiothoracic surgeon Dr.Noah Tapaua and his trainee cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Eliasbeth Alok.
Others in the local team includes Dr. Cornelia Kilalang, Prof. Nakapi Tefuarani, Prof Sir Isi Kevau and Dr Jack Amina.
Perfusionist Norman Kambo and Alex Tipiso who underwent training at the Singapore National Health Center on how to use the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass to manage the patient's physiological status are also two local specialists in this team.
Patron of the Operation Open Heart Justin Tkatchenko appealed to all business houses and corporate companies to get behind the team this week and assist in any way they can either through cash or kind.
“The reward of giving is worth more than the money you give,” he said.
This year alone will see cardiac operations from two visiting teams, one from Singapore and the other from Australia.
Both teams will visit twice this year.